I Am Chosen
by Quiver
Summary: What makes Darkwing Duck who he is?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_Authors Note: OK, I hated the first version, so I'm trying again._

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 1(** Revised Version)_

As dawn breaks over the sleeping city of St. Canard, the dawn is accompanied by the first snow of the year. Being a few days before Christmas, it is a welcome sight to the citizens in the city. They have not had a white Christmas in three years.

By midmorning, a fine blanket a virgin snow has already covered the entire metropolis.

In the midst of the last minute holiday shopping, people are also preparing for a special Christmas treat. The St. Canard museum will be displaying a rare set of jeweled Christmas Ornaments that are rumored to have once belonged to a great king.

They are on loan from Scrooge McDuck, who is scheduled to arrive that evening from Duckburg for the grand presentation. As a precaution, Scrooge has arranged for GizmoDuck to escort the armored car that is delivering the Ornaments to the museum. The rich duck is more then a little uneasy about displaying the Ornaments in the city that is home to the Fearsome Five. For this reason, he has requested that Darkwing Duck be present at the presentation as well.

Later that evening in Darkwing Tower.

Darkwing enters the tower, dressed in his Bio Enhancement Armor. He pauses in the center of the large edifice to look around. He once again admires all the new equipment, much of it comes courtesy of Scrooge McDuck!

Darkwing recalls how, after Bulba had destroyed most of the tower in a rampage.

Nearly all his equipment had been lost in Bulba's attack. It really was a surprise to Darkwing that Scrooge offered to supply him with all new hi-tech stuff. Moreover, he even put Scrooge McDuck construction company to work repairing both Audubon Bay Bridge and SHUSH headquarters – free of charge!

Darkwing sighs heavily, he isn't the only one to change after all the occurrences of the last couple of years. Scrooge's family has been involved in more than one of his adventures since the summer before.

Walking into the wardrobe area of the tower he stands in front of a full length mirror that hangs on the wall. He stares at his reflection. Not the image of the Darkwing Duck the world has come to know, but of the Guardian. Dressed head to foot in an armor of silver and white, only his visors bear any resemblance to his old self. They are dark in color to compensate for his sensitivity to light. He places a finger on a small button on the side the visors to adjust the tinting. Though the visors do automatically adjust to the change in light and dark, they don't always adjust to _his_ satisfaction.

He listens to a news report on television, telling of his apprehension of some bank robbers earlier that day. Though they still address him as Darkwing Duck, he is now often being referred to simply as the Duck in White. Darkwing doesn't like this, not at all. It's all happening to fast for him. One day he's Darkwing Duck, the Masked Mallard, the costume clown with an ego the size of Scrooge McDuck's money bin.

Now, he's the Duck in White. A Super Hero to the truest sense of the word. He actually has super powers! Super Powers! Something he has always wanted – and now that he has them ...well...he just isn't sure.

This uncertainty may have something to do with what this armor tends to do to him if he wears it very long or if he has to use a great amount of it's abilities. It makes him feel – strange. He doesn't feel like Darkwing Duck, not really.

He smiles. Yeah, it even has an affect on his ego. When he is in the armor, he just doesn't seem to care as much about the publicity and praise. He just wants to get the job done and protect the innocent.

This may not sound like a bad thing to others, but it just isn't Darkwing Duck.

"Dark?" he is startled by a warm beguiling voice from the shadows. He spins in surprise to see Morgana standing behind him. She grins "Well, what ever other powers that suit gives you, you don't have a _Spidey Sense_." She jests.

She steps into the light, revealing the long black hair she now allows to hang down over her shoulders. The crimson dress she wears is a long soft cotton caftan. The most obvious change in her appearance, however, is the rise in her belly. She is three months with child.

Darkwing smiles as he gently places a hand on her stomach. "So how is your _little passenger _behaving today?"

She laughs playfully "Hungry!"

"So how many Christmas cookies have you baked for out little one?"

"A lot! But I don't know how many will be left after LaunchPad and Gosalyn are finished. Gosalyn has been snitching raw cookie dough all day, I hope she doesn't have a tummy ache!" Morgana says with a small giggle.

A more serious tone rises in Darkwing's voice "Morgana, you shouldn't have let her get away with it. You have to put your foot down with her. You are her mother now."

"I know Dark, but it is Christmas after all," she pauses and glances down at her stomach "Besides, considering the circumstances, I think we should be more lenient in some ways."

Darkwing considers her words for a moment. He knows the adjustments have not been easy for Gosalyn. Not long after Drake and Morgana were married, they learned Morgana was expecting. Not only had the news of the baby caused Gosalyn to feel like she is no longer a real member of the family, but they had moved from their home on Avian Way. Away from the only home she had known since he adopted her. Away from living next door to her best friend, Honker. But it is for her sake that he had decided to sell the house and put the money in on fixing up Morgana's manor as their new home.

Drake had gone all out to normalize Morgana's house (with her permission of course). After they _disenchanted_ it, he had it completely remodeled in a rustic Early American style. With a small guest house in back to accommodate LaunchPad.

This way, there is plenty of room for a growing family. Still, the change has been difficult for Gosalyn.

He sighs heavily "You know, I wish Gos still believed in Santa Clause. She has lost so much of her childhood as it is." he sighs "it's good for a kid to believe in things like that."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Launchpad still believes in Santa Claus." Morgana giggles.

"And the Easter Bunny and The tooth fairy and the boogeyman." Darkwing adds with amusement.

"Well, the boogeyman is real, Dark. He's a business associate of my fathers."

Darkwing looks at her perplexed "You're kidding? And this guy actually hides in the closets of little children for the sole purpose of frightening them?"

"It's an inferiority compensation thing. He's really a scrawny spineless little wimp you know. But he doesn't come around St. Canard anymore."

"Oh really, why? " Darkwing can't believe he is having a serious conversation about a being that is only suppose to exist in a child's imagination.

"Ahh," she sys hesitantly as she tries to find the right words "Well, it has to do with a nervous break down he had a couple of summers back."

She looks at her husband who listens patiently "It seems that one of the kids he was – err – _visiting_ one night, had set a trap in her closet to catch him. Something rigged of anvils and high explosives. She wanted to take him for show and tell..."

"_She?" _Darkwing asks suspiciously "Did _she_ happen to live at 537 Avian Way at the time, hmmm?"

"I believe so, yes," Morgana chuckles.

Darkwing rolls his eyes "Oh boy. The next time that kid tells me she almost caught a real monster, I'll believe her!" He draws a breath before changing the subject "I wish you could be at the museum tonight to see the jeweled Ornaments."

"I know dark, but we both know how Gosalyn feels about museums and I don't dare leave her alone in the house this close to Christmas. She'll tear the place up looking for her presents!"

"True," Darkwing confesses "She better watch out that Santa doesn't leave her a lump of coal this year!"

Morgana smiles and kisses him on the bill "_Santa, _wouldn't dare..."

"You're right." he agrees quickly " If he did, she may try to catch _him_ for show and tell!" A sober expression soon replaces the laughter "I wish there was something really special we could do for her this year. I mean, almost everybody we know has been buying Christmas gifts for the _baby_ this year. A few of them have been so caught up in the _blessed event, _they've forgotten to get Gos anything." There is a trace of pain in his voice.

"They don't mean to forget her Dark, after all, things get a little crazy this time of year." Morgana reminds him.

Darkwing shrugs listlessly "I know. I just don't want her feeling that because she's adopted...that...well..that everybody will just push her aside for the baby."

"As long as _everybody_ isn't her daddy, she'll be alright." Morgana says softly.

"Besides, I think _this_ Christmas is going to be a very special one for Gosalyn."

"Oh?," Darkwing looks curiously at his wife "And why is that?" there is an air of innocents in his question.

"You, like Gosalyn will just have to wait until Christmas Morning, my honeywumpus." she teases as she traces a finger along the edge of his bill.

She steps back "I guess you should get going if you are going to guard the museum. I'll see you tonight." with that she leaves.

Heaving a deep sigh, Darkwing turns to go. LaunchPad should have picked Scrooge up in the ThunderQuack by now. They will arrive at the tower shortly.

In truth Darkwing doesn't like the idea of Scrooge McDuck using the ThunderQuack as a personal jet. The old duck has requested Launchpad to take him on several long journeys in the super jet since the battle against Bulba the summer before. Launchpad being LaunchPad couldn't refuse his old boss. Darkwing could put his foot down, of course and insist that the ThunderQuack wasn't built for public transportation. But he wouldn't do that to Launchpad. He wouldn't want his friend to have to choose loyalties. He also felt an obligation, since Scrooge had flipped the bill for the New Darkwing Tower.

A short time later, the ThunderQuack arrives to pick him up. Adding insult to injury, Darkwing has to take the backseat in his own jet seeing how Scrooge already occupies the front seat next to Launchpad.

As the jet arrives at the museum, they are all shocked by the scene below. Police cars have the museum surrounded. Most of the museum windows have been busted out and the walls of the building are riveted with bullet holes. Signs of a shoot out. Little question of who the shooters are. Only the Fearsome Five could get the upper hand against GizmoDuck.

"Ah no! The jeweled Ornaments!" Scrooge exclaims. He glances over his shoulder at Darkwing "Your Fearsome Five doesn't waste time do they?" he sounds almost accusing.

Darkwing Scowls, his Fearsome Five? As if they were his personal pets or something. "Yeah, they're always getting out of the yard, they must dig under the fence." he snaps sarcastically. "LaunchPad, land on the roof."

The ThunderQuack flies in low, touching down on the rooftop and Darkwing jumps from the popped cockpit. As he lands nimbly on the roof, he can already feel the armor responding to his actions. "LP, You stay here with McDuck. I'll take care of the Fearsome Five." He's learned to stay calm when wearing B.E.A. Otherwise his sense of excitement seems to influence the armors reaction and his emotions are transformed into physical energy. The last time he got to excited while wearing the armor, he was more hyper than Gosalyn on a sugar rush! And that was even after taking the armor off!

"OK, Darkwing, stay cool." he says to himself as he finds a ventilation shaft a convenient way to slip into the Museum.

Slipping unnoticed into the museum, it doesn't take long to locate the villeins and GizmoDuck. Poor GizmoDuck is laying in a heap in the corner of the room, his suits circuits having been overheated, courtesy of Megavolt no doubt. Darkwing has to wonder why McDuck hasn't had the Gizmo suit grounded somehow.

He sees Negaduck and the rest of his party watching the police from a broken window. He hears Liquidator saying something about **_"Hasn't a hero come to save the day? Are the criminals running wild in your city? Liquidator says – keep watching over your shoulder!"_**

Darkwing supposes this is his creative way of saying they'd better keep their eyes peeled for Darkwing Duck! Too bad none of them think to just turn around!

It's show time!

Darkwing's intros have even had an overhaul sense acquiring the armor. He moves back into the shadows.

"**_I am the terror that flaps in the night..." _**and that is it.

The Fearsome Five all spin around in surprise. They of course can't see him.

They wait for the rest of his old infamous intro such as _"I am the fox that gets into your hen house. I am the thorn the the bush of justice," _the usual Darkwing Duck puffery.

But...

nothing...

nothing but silence.

Alright, this is unnerving for the criminals. None of them have gone up against Darkwing since he came in possession of the B.E.A. None of them are ready for the changes that have taken place in his character.

After a long moment of silence, Negaduck finally calls out "Well? Is that it? Hay Darkwing, you finally getting tired of hearing your own voice? Yeah, well I got tired of it a long time ago?!"

He waits for a smart comeback, but there is only silence.

Not use to dealing with a quiet Darkwing Duck, the other members of the Fearsome Five are growing uneasy.

"Hey, that new suit of his, did anybody ever hear if he can become invisible with it?" Bushroot ask on the verge of panicking.

"You know, I never thought of that." Quackerjack admits as he looks around "He- he could be standing right next to us – _right now!_" At this point he begins to tremble with fear.

"Would you stop your wining ya sissies!" Negaduck growls. He pulls out a blow torch "Hey Darkwing. If you don't come out and play I'm going to melt the armor plated Pollyanna into a puddle of goo!"

He takes a step toward the corner they had left GizmoDuck in to discover he was gone! "Ah nuts!"

Undaunted by the set back he spins around to face the center of the room. "Yeah, well we still got the jeweled Christmas Ornaments!" He pulls out a small bag from under his cape "Come and get them." he dangles the bag as if trying to entice Darkwing into making a move.

"How can I resist such an offer." a voice comes from behind. In surprise Negaduck turns to see his arch enemy only a couple feet away. He is taken aback, however, by the new look the crime fighter now sports. His jaw drops in disbelief "Hay that's not fair! I always wanted a sequenced cape!" he grouses, his lower lip puckered out like a baby on the verge on a tantrum.

"Aww, we don't always get what we want in life, do we?" Darkwing mocks. But before Negaduck can reply, Darkwing simply punches him out. His physical strength being enhanced by the B.E.A., Darkwing only hopes he didn't hit him _too_ hard.

As he turns his attention to the remaining members of the gang, he sees the same look on the faces of all of them. A look one might get after seeing a ghost.

He is baffled by their stares until he hears Quackerjack gasp "It's him! It's, it's the Duck in White! I thought he went back to where he came from!"

Darkwing starts to reply to the loony clowns remark when he hears an all too familiar voice ring out "There you are you low life degenerates!"

Ah no!

Darkwing turns to see Scrooge McDuck marching into the room followed by an uneasy Launchpad.

Scrooge comes to a halt in the center of the room, his fists on his hips defiantly. "Just what have you no-goods done with me jeweled Ornaments!" he demands of the four criminals.

"McDuck! What are you doing here?!" Darkwing yells at the miser.

"What does it look like I'm doing!" Scrooge snaps back at him.

"Looks to me, like you're trying to get yourselves blown up!" Says a low gravelly

voice. Unfortunately, Darkwing knows the voice instantly. He glances around to see Negaduck back on his feet, a lit bomb in one hand and a gun in the other. Well apparently Darkwing didn't hit him _too_ hard after all.

"Hey, did I show you my new toy?" Negaduck taunts holding out the bomb as the fuse burns shorter by the second. "This is the latest in destructive explosives! One bomb has the exploding power of ten ordinary bombs, neat huh?"

Darkwing starts to take a step towards him but Negaduck aims the gun at Scrooge and LaunchPad "Uh-uh-uh, you wouldn't want to get anybody _not_ wearing a protective suit of armor hurt, now would you?"

Darkwing freezes, tossing Negaducks question around in his head. No he wouldn't want to get Launchpad shot...McDuck on the other hand...

"Catch!" Negs yells tossing the bomb to Darkwing "By the way. There is something else special about this bomb – once lit it can't be put out!" With that he pulls a canister and throws it to the floor. A cloud of red smoke engulfs the criminals and then they are gone.

Darkwing tries to snuff out the rapidly burning fuse, but as Negaduck said, it can't be put out. He tries to pull out the fuse, but it is to short to get a grip on.

There is no time to get rid of it as the fuse reaches it's end. The bomb will blow in a matter of seconds. Darkwing does the only thing time will allow him, he falls on the bomb hoping is body will absorb the blast and save the others.

The explosion is heard throughout the city...

_To be continued..._

_**From the Author: **This is the last installment of my Path Chosen series. At least I hope it is! I didn't really like trying to base the whole fic around a Christmas theme. But since Christmas just fits into the timing in the storyline, I am basing the fic **around** the Christmas season but not **on** it. Plus, I wanted to include Scrooge in the story line._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_Authors Note: OK, I hated the first version, so I'm trying again. _

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 2**_

As the black smoke billows toward the sky, a thick cloud of dust and ash looms low over the shattered building. Half of the museum is collapsed in on itself.

Those who were outside the building are shaken by the shock wave. The windshields of the surrounding police cars are cracked and busted out.

The police chief can only stare at the partially fallen building. He only hopes that nobody was inside when the explosion occurred. Finding his voice, he calls out to his officers "Get the fire department and the paramedics out here. Call for the Rescue dogs, start searching for survivors!"

Meanwhile within the collapsed structure.

What has happened? He can't think clearly, he can't move. He can't open his eyes.

Everything is dark. He is only vaguely aware of discomfort, pain throughout his body, but he doesn't care.

What has happened?

He can't remember.

Wait...the explosion...the bomb...

The bomb? Why is he still alive?

_Is_ he alive? Maybe he's not.

"_Maybe I'm dead." _the thought plays in the recesses of his mind.

"_No, You are alive, Darkwing Duck and you will live." _he hears a melodic voice resound from all around him. A voice that is somehow familiar to him. Now he feels a warmth spread through his body, there is no more pain. And through the darkness a faint glow of light starts to illuminate all around him. Soon the darkness is overcome by pure light. Warm soothing light, like a world made of soft sunshine.

Darkwing finds himself standing in the midst of this light. He glances down at his hands. Where are his gloves. For that matter where is his armor. He looks at the attire he now wheres. A simple white Quack-Fu uniform with a black belt?

How?

It occurs to him, he isn't wearing a mask either – or visors! But the light! How can he see? Why is the light not hurting is eyes?

"I have to be dead! That's the only answer!" he says aloud.

"_The **only** answer, Darkwing Duck? There's always another answer." _he hears it again. That voice, so melodic and soft. It seems to emit from all around him.

"Hello?" he calls "who's there?"

He waits. Soon he can see the outline of a figure moving through the light towards him. As the figure comes closer, he can see that it is a young female duck, about 22 or 23 years old. She is about half a head smaller than him. She has medium length blondish brown hair and pale blue eyes. Her tomboyish face is round and smooth with milk white feathers. She is wearing a plane bluish white robe with a long sash. He notices something else about her as well. Light seems to pass through her. That's unnerving.

Then he realizes. "I – I _know_ you, don't I?" he asks with a soft gasp.

The figure smiles at him. _"Yes." _her voice resounds softly around him as she speaks. She doesn't offer any more information than this.

He tries to make sense of what is happening. "Can you tell me where I am?"

"_You are in between."_

In between where?"

"_Between what you know as existence and that which lies beyond. Between here and the here after. You are between **life** and **death**."_

What? B_etween_ life and death?!

Oh yeah, the explosion. Right.

The explosion! _Blast it McDuck!_

_The_ young lady seems to know his thoughts. _"Don't judge him to harshly, Darkwing. Scrooge may be cantankerous but he'd never intentionally get anybody, including you hurt. Don't be angry."_

Darkwing is embarrassed. "Uh it shows huh?"

She smiles and holds out a hand "Come with me. I have something to show you."

Darkwing gazes into her eyes. There is something in them that says he can trust her, unconditionally and completely. Without hesitation, he takes her hand. They begin to walk. AS they pass through the light, Darkwing can see things, images, scenes that seem to play out all around them as they go. But the images appear and disappear to quickly for him to make sense of them. Oddly, some of the things he sees are familiar to him.

A shocking realization comes over him! Is this _his_ life passing before his eyes? Then he is – isn't he? Or maybe is going to be...soon.

Only one thought passes through his mind. My Family!

Again the female seems to read his thoughts _"I've already told you, you are still alive," _she assures him _"You've just 'stepped out of your body' for awhile"_

Stepped out of his body?She says that so a matter of fact.

For some reason, it really doesn't seem so big a deal to him at the moment. Not nearly a big a deal as getting back to his life his family and to ringing McDuck's neck for causing all this to start with!

They continue to walk and soon they step from the light into what looks like a field. A lush green field. There are no trees or shrubbery, just the grass and large rocky mountains on either side of the field. As they step from the light onto the field Darkwing feels something smooth under his feet, he glances down. It is a smooth shiny stone, one of many that form a small path through the field. The path cuts right through the middle of the field running parallel to the mountains.

Slowly he starts to walk down the path, curious of where it leads. His female companion is content to follow close behind him. But abruptly, the path ends halfway through the field. He looks down at the shiny smooth stone he stands on, the last stone of the path. He turns to look at the young lady "Why does it just end in the middle of the field like that?"

"_It only ends for you Darkwing. This is as far as you are meant to come." _she explains.

OK, he thinks he understands what she means, but why is he here to begin with.

Before he can ask, however, an unearthly sound draws his attention toward the mountains. He notices that the mountains are as ugly and cold as the field is warm and beautiful. He also notices that where the mountains cast their shadows on the edges of the field, no grass grows.

He also notices the purple and blue color that bridges the light and shadow. A small stream of twilight color that begins on the edge of light and ends on the edge of the dark.

Again he hears that hideous noise. It seems to come from somewhere in the dark shadows of the mountains.

Darkwing wants to investigate. He starts to step off the path but hesitates. He looks at the young lady for approval. She nods. With that, he steps into the green grassy field. He is pleasantly surprised to discover the texture of the grass is like fine silk. He starts toward the source of the sound.

When he gets to the area where the light ends, he stops to gaze into the darkness. He can see something moving inside the shadows.

He pauses. There is something familiar about this place. He's been here before...then it dawns on him. He knows what this place is. This isn't a field – it's a valley. **_The valley of the shadow of death?!_**

Darkwing whirls around to face the woman. "I've been here before!"

She nods.

"But, when? How? Why have I been brought back?"

But then the thought crosses his mind. Somebody he knows -sort of, Somebody from his past. He gazes at her still translucent form. Somebody he can almost see through! This is Christmas time and this place is part of a distant, nearly forgotten past. "Uh, you're not?" He hesitates. "Well, that is...you're a _ghost_...from my past...and..."

For the first time the smile fades from her face ( though not completely). _"Ghost? Excuse me? **Ghost**!"_ she sounds almost offended. Her melodic voice echoing all around them. She looks him in the eye, silently, almost accusingly, for a long, discomforting moment, then, to Darkwing's relief, she laughs. _"Don't worry, Darkwing. I'm not here to show you the errors of your ways. And there aren't three of us coming to see you tonight." _

"Then, why are we here?" he asks.

"_To remember and to learn." _she takes his arm, her touch is so warm. "_You were here before Darkwing Duck, more than once. Just relax, think back..."_

Closing his eyes Darkwing travels through his memories, back, back to when he was a young man, a child, a baby.

He feels the ambiance change around him. He opens his eyes. Startled, he realizes where he is. This is the _Westside Children's Infirmary. _The place he was born. There are small children occupying the cots that line up against the walls. Some of the children are running around playing, despite the fact that it is extremely cold. Their little hands and feat are bundled in strips of torn cloth. Some of them should be too sick to play, but they play none the less, and somehow they laugh and smile.

Unfortunately, the building is just as he remembers it. The walls are stripped bare of paint and have absolutely no kind of insulation. There is cardboard nailed up over the vast hole that cover the walls. The windows are broken and boarded up, blocking out almost all the light. Yet, cold air still escapes in through the cracks creating an eerie whistle that haunts the building like the mournful wailing of a earthbound ghost.

"I was born here." Darkwing says almost to himself.

"_I know."_ the female replies. She is watching the kids play. She glances around. "_Didn't they have a nick-name for this place – the Lost Children's Clinic or the Lost Clinic?_ _One would not think a child in these conditions in their state of health could still laugh and play."_

"It's the only life most of them have ever known. They don't know enough about the outside world to understand they aren't suppose to be happy." He explains it to her with a deep understanding. He understands because he spent the first years of his life in the confinements of these deplorable dwellings. He had grown into childhood here, much to the astonishment of his doctor! He hadn't known about the traditional family of father, mother, sister, brother. He only knew the other children and the doctor and nurses. Some times there were volunteers who would come for awhile, but they never stayed around long.

"Strange, you know. I never felt deprived of anything back then. I guess I didn't know any better." Darkwing muses.

But this place doesn't exist any more. It was shut down years ago as inhumane!

The woman, again, seeming to read his mind pulls him toward a scene unfolding in an unlit corner of the room. The residing physician and a nurse are standing over a rickety wooden crib that stands against the southern wall, the warmest place in the oh-so cold building.

They are talking about the occupant of the crib. "Poor little fella, what a way to come into the world." The doctor is telling the nurse. "And what a dismal place for him to have to spend the few hours he has in this world." With that the doctor turns and walks away. The nurse still stands there, watching the grievously ill babe.

She is startled by the presence of a young woman who steps along side her. "Oh," the old nurse jumps in surprise, "I did not see you there." She gives the younger woman a quick once over. A pretty enough little thing, the nurses figures her to be one of the few volunteers they have. She sees that the woman is staring at the baby in the crib. "It's heartbreaking. Sweet little thing being born, just to die. He's got some kind of rare disease. I don't know a lot about it, but the doctor doesn't expect him to live through one night. Poor little thing."

The young woman smiles down at the baby. His little body is frail, one can see this at a glance. "But those are not the eyes of a sick baby, are they?" the woman says with great kindness.

The nurse leans down to better see the babies eyes through the duskiness. She is actually surprised at what she sees. The a baby's eyes are wide open – and focused. Very unusual for a newborn, even a healthy one. But more than that, the black piercing eyes are so full of fight and spirit. So full of life!

"Remarkable." Is all she can say, then turns and leaves the young woman to stand at the side of the crib.

The woman reaches down to pull the worn out piece of cloth, meant as a blanket, around the wee babe. "You're going to surprise a lot of people, aren't you?" she coos softly. In response the baby giggles at her.

Knowing he is completely unseen by anybody other than his mysterious companion, Darkwing steps up to the crib. He looks down at the baby, knowing full well, that this infant is him!

As he watches, the woman begins to sing softly to him. Darkwing can not make out the words to the song, but it is beautiful. Her voice is beautiful. Darkwing glances up at her face as she sings. He is shaken when he realizes who she is. Spinning to face his companion he motions toward the young woman singing to the baby "It's - it's _you_!"

Darkwing looks from the woman singing to him as a baby, then to the female that stands with him. "It is you! But...but..how..."

He only needs to look into her eyes to know the answer. He glances back at the vision of himself as a baby, sick in his crib and the kindly young woman caring for him. "You're – an _angel_?"

She doesn't reply, only watches his face with understanding as it all slowly sinks in. "You're my Guardian angel, aren't you?"

She nods her head.

A slight scowl crosses his face. "But why have you brought me here?"

"_Because it's time, Darkwing."_

"_What_? But you just told me that it wasn't my time! I can't go yet! I have a child on the way. I have a daughter to raise a wife who needs me. I have to protect St. Canard from criminals...I've gotta..I've..._gotta break every bone is Scrooge McDuck's crusty old body!"_

She laughs and places a gentle hand on his arm _"No! It's not **that** time – not yet!" _she chuckles. "And we're going to have to do something about your Scrooge McDuck issue."

"Oh." Darkwing sighs in obvious relief. Then managing to compose himself asks calmly "Then what?"

"_It's time for the next step in your journey." _she explains.

He looks at her suspiciously "What do you mean?"

"_Come," _she takes his arm. They start to walk through the clinic. As they walk, the ambiance again begins to transform. They are once again engulfed in a warm soft light. Scenes play out all around them as they walk. Darkwing sees himself as a small child, his legs bound in heavy metal braces as he tries to learn to walk. Yes, he remembers this. The doctors were sure he would never be able to walk without them.

Of course, the doctors were sure he wouldn't live through the night he was born.

Darkwing can't help but smile. Looking back, it seems he got in the habit of being unpredictable at a very young age.

"_Do you ever wonder Darkwing, why your parents would just leave you in such a place?" _She asks with a tone of voice that makes him feel as if he is being tested with the question.

"Nope. Most of the families that left the kids here were flat out destitute. They couldn't provide as much for the kids as the clinic did. I guess they did what they thought best for their children."

"_But they just left them and never came back."_

"Those were the rules. I guess it was easier on the kids or something."

The angel glances curiously at him _"They didn't even give you actual names did they?"_

Darkwing is silent as he thinks back "No. The ones born here weren't expected to live. They had numbers written on our right arms in red dye for identification purposes. They usually just called us _by number_." he says facetiously.

"_And do you recall what your numbers were?"_

"Hmmmm" he hadn't thought about all of this for such a very long time "No. I can't recall what they were. But it doesn't really matter does it?"

She smiles without answering then turns back to the scene that plays out before them.

It didn't take Darkwing long as a child to shed the braces, much to the awe of his doctor.

It didn't take him long to learn to run, jump, climb...get into trouble...

As if on cue, a new scene plays out before them. The children are all being taken into one room while exterminators are sent throughout the building to take care of a **_rat_** problem. A mischievous grin spreads across Darkwing's face as he recalls the _cause_ of the exterminators being called in.

"_I take it you have no problem remembering **this** part of your childhood,"_ the angel says in a mock accusing tone.

"I just hope Gos never hears about this one. She'd never let me live it down." Darkwing replies.

"_Now let me see. I believe somebody smuggled a book into the clinic that was not considered appropriate reading material for small children. One of the older kids read it out loud to the younger ones." _she recollects. _" And this inspired you , for some reason, to decide to try and tame and train **rats**!"_

Darkwing laughed "That's what they get for not letting us have _pets_! Besides, I thought it was a clever idea, considering that there were more rats than people in that place. Wouldn't it sound logical to tame the things if we had to live with them?"

"_It might have, if you weren't trying to train them from what you learned in the book." _She looks at him with an incriminating smirk _"You do recall the title of_

_that particular book don't you?"_

Darkwing's face flushes "Eh...yeah..._hehe_, it was called...**_Willard_**." He sees her eyes fixed on him, accusing, yet playful. He shrugs "I was just a kid!"

She chuckles warmly _"Come on." _As they continue on, the scene changes again. This time, Darkwing sees himself as a small child, running with the other children in the clinic, playing and laughing with the other kids. He has an old worn blue piece of curtain over his shoulders like a cape. He is pretending to fly. He jumps off one of the rickety old cots landing hard on the floor and without warning he collapses to the ground and stops breathing.

This too, Darkwing remembers. He had collapsed many, many times in the Lost Children's Clinic. He had come close to dying several times, but he was never afraid. In the Lost Children's Clinic, dying was perceived as a very natural occurrence.

This time was different, however. This time he actually _crossed over_. He died – at least for a little while.

Again, the ambiance all around changes. Soon, Darkwing finds himself back in that valley. This time he is watching himself, as a child, entering the valley for the first time.

The small boy that was Darkwing's young self is more than a little disoriented. One reason being perhaps that he had never been outside the clinic in his life. He had never felt grass under his feet or taken in fresh air. The child finds himself on the path. Something seems to being beaconing him to walk the path. Still confused, he starts to slowly follow the path of smooth shiny stones.

Halfway through the valley, however, the path abruptly ends. The boys stops, his little webbed feet firmly planted on the last stepping stone. Now what? He is almost afraid to walk on the grass.

He lifts his eyes in the direction the path was leading. He sees somebody walking through the soft grass towards hi. It is a young woman dressed in a bluish white robe. She stops in front of him. _"It's alright little one. You aren't meant to go any further on this path, not yet. S_he says with a soft kind voice. She offers the child her hand. Trustingly, he takes it and she begins to lead him through the valley.

"I knew I'd met you somewhere before!" Darkwing exclaims to the angel.

She grins at him then motions for him to keep watching.

They walk along the valley. The boy enjoying the feel of the silk like blades under his feet.

"So where _am_ I suppose to go, then?" the boy finally asks.

Just then, a low unearthly growl coming from the shadows draws their attention. The boy can just make out the outline of – something, moving within the darkness.

"What is that?" he asks her.

"_That is the soul of darkness – evil. That is why you are still here." _the lady explains.

The boy looks toward the beast in the dark shadows then back to the lady, obviously confused.

She kneels beside him _"You see little one, in the world you live in evil is very strong. It hurts a lot of innocent people and corrupts the hearts of many more. But look." _She motions to the ground where the light ends. There are the colors of purple and blue before the darkness.

"_That is all that stands between the light and the dark. It is like the twilight of evening that is always between day and night. That is what a Guardsman is. A Guardsman stands between the light and the dark, the good and the evil. The twilight forever separates the two. This is your job on earth, young one, to always stand between the light and dark. To stand between the evil and the innocent."_

"Cooool!" the boy exclaims, finally grasping what she is getting at "Do I get super powers too?!"

"_Uh... sort of...when you are ready...but that won't be any time soon, trust me! For now. It's time for you to go back."_

With that the scene fades. Darkwing recalls his near-death experience and he recalls as well, coming too in the emergency room of the hospital _after_ he had been pronounced dead! Ho boy! Three nurses fainted!

Darkwing shakes his head in amusement. "So, you're telling me that my becoming Darkwing Duck was all preordained?" he asks.

"_Yes,"_

There is an expression on his face that says he isn't fully convinced.

"_But you were born for for a life of espionage and intrigue were you not?"_

Well, I may have a natural born gift beyond that of mere man (there's that ego again). But To say that I was born just for this purpose. I mean, I did choose to become Darkwing Duck all on my own, ya know?"

"Oh you're sure of that?" the angel asks with a grin.

"Sure."

Taking his right arm she places a palm over the back of the forearm for a moment them slips the glove off his hand. She pushes back the sleeve to reveal three numbers in red dye. Darkwing's face flushes as he remembers, now, the three numbers he was identified by as a child in the clinic – **_007!_**

_To be continued..._

_**From The Author: ** OK, as you can see, I did integrate parts of the old fic into this one. A lot of the scenes in the revised version will simply be copied and pasted from the old one(Being lazy here). But as I said, I wanted the story to include Scrooge McDuck. But Darkwing's attitude towards him right now, Scrooge may find himself in the Valley of Death!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**Author's Note. **Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. (It may confuse you if you have read those fics.)_

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 3**_

Darkwing cannot help but laugh, "Ah no! I had forgotten! Double -O-Seven! Oh boy!" Then a curious thought crosses his mind. "Eh, since Negaduck is the Negaverse version of myself. I wonder if he was in one of the children's clinics like I was?"

The angel scrutinizes him before replying "_Perhaps_."

"Well, then wouldn't he have had three numbers marked on his arm to identify him as well?"

"_That does stand to reason."_ The angel remarks, still suspicious of Darkwing's inquiry.

"Would you know what his numbers were?"

"_I might."_ the angel says slowly.

A look of mischief comes across his face. "What's the chances _his_ numbers were **_666_**?!" he quips.

"_Interesting theory." _is all the reply he receives. She takes his arm ands starts to guide him away from the scene.

"So, now what? You show me all the people in my present life and how I have affected their lives?"

The angel rolls her eyes "_We are not doing a reenactment of a Christmas Carol here Darkwing. This isn't meant to show you the errors of your ways. Rather to guide you on a most difficult path ahead."_

She pauses before answering._ "Darkwing, do you understand about the others?"_

"Others?," he can sense what she is talking about "You mean the future versions of myself? Guardian, Flyer...Tr..."the last name catches in his throat. The ordeals

of those months past still haunt Darkwing. Seeing the death of _himself_ in a possible future is not something he will ever be able to forget.

"_Tracker."_ The angel finishes for him. _"It's still hard for you to think about him isn't it?"_

He nods solemnly.

"_But was it his death or his **life** that weighs so heavily on your heart?" _Her comment seems callous considering that it's coming from an angel.

He takes offense. "What a terrible thing to say! He gave his life for Gosalyn and the McDuck boy..."

"_He gave up a life he had long ago destroyed, Darkwing. A life you, in one reality, destroyed by betraying your daughters love." _

She sees his face grimace with pain at her words. Perhaps because he fears, even after all that has happened, that he may yet cause this occurrence to come to pass.

"_Darkwing, look," _she tells him as she lifts a hand to motion at the scene before them.

Yet again, everything around them changes, but this time things are very different. This is not his passed. It can't be, he is standing in the house on Avian way. As he watches, he sees himself walking down the stairs. "Hey, I thought you weren't going to do that Ghost of Christmas Present thing with me."

"_Just watch."_

Within a few seconds, Morgana comes from the kitchen carrying a toddler in her arms.

Upon seeing the baby, Darkwing realizes where they are "This is Tracker's world?"

The angel nods.

"I don't want to be here..." he almost begs. He wants to turn away, to run. But he can't. Something compels him to keep watching.

He watches as Tracker, dressed as Drake Mallard descends the staircase and comes to a stop as his wife approaches.

"Drake, I thought you'd still be in bed." Morgana greets her husband.

"I thought I'd go to Darkwing Tower for awhile and monitor the police communications. A little girl was found just outside of Duckburg last night. They think she's a runaway."

A woeful expression sweeps over Morgana's face. "Dark, you can't keep doing this to yourself, it's been over a year."

"Yeah, and I haven't been able to find even a trace of her. Some hero I am." he maunders. His eyes turned from his family.

Incognizant of the tension between the adults, the baby boy gurgles cheerfully and reaches for his father to take him. But Drake turns and walks away, refusing to even look at the child. Not understanding why _daddy_ doesn't want to hold him, the baby falls silent and watches as his father leaves.

Morgana hugs little Derek close to her affectionately. "It isn't fair, I know. You're daddy loves you so much, he really does. But he doesn't feel he has the right to love you anymore. Not until he brings Gosalyn home, again."

The angel notices Darkwing staring at baby Derek uneasily. She leans close to him. _"Beautiful baby, isn't it?"_

He nods without speaking.

She waits before saying,_ "It's not going to happen this way for you."_

"How can you be so sure?" he utters coarsely.

"_For one thing, the one you are expecting now – it's a girl."_

Darkwing turns in astonishment "What? How could you possibly know..." he trails off as he realizes, he's talking to an _angel_. "Oh, a girl?" he looks back at the vision of Morgana holding a baby boy. "So, that means that things really are different from Trackers reality?"

She nods.

He lets out a very audible sigh of relief.

"_Keep watching."_

As they watch, they find themselves in Darkwing Tower. It's dark outside. A solitary figure stands on the ledge of the tower, looking down, listlessly upon the city below. Darkwing steps out on the ledge and gazes down on the bright colorful lights below. Festive music rises from the busy streets. "It's Christmas?" He asks the angel.

"_Yes,"_

The figure, dressed in a long dark trench coat turns and walks back into the tower.

Darkwing and the angel follow. As they watch, the figure they know to be Tracker walks down into the corner of the tower used for wardrobe. He kneels and opens a small hidden panel at the bottom of the dresser. Inside are two small brightly wrapped packages. Both tied with ribbons and bows with cards attached.

Darkwing comes up right behind Tracker and leans over him to better see. He can make out the cards "Merry Christmas: To Gosalyn Love Daddy."

"_Two gifts." _he hears the angel tell him. _"One for each Christmas she's missed. There were many more before – well before he was able to set things right."_

As they watch, the solitary figure pushes the gifts back into the drawer and locks it. Sinking to slowly to the floor, he buries his face in his trembling hands and sobs uncontrollably.

Both onlookers are moved by the sight. Darkwing feels a lump come to his throat

"This, this isn't going to happen – ever?" he croaks. He lifts his eyes to see the angel as he fights back the tears that sting his eyes.

"_Not as long as you remember what you see before you. Not as long as you remember, Tracker. Remember his mistakes and never repeat them. For without Gosalyn, you can never know your true destiny."  
_Her words cut deep into Darkwing's heart. He can't find the words to speak, he can only nod.

"_Let's go,"_ the angel says taking his hand.

As they turn and walk, the scene fades and they are in the light again.

Darkwing feels very tired right now. He is thinking about Tracker. He is thinking about a future without Gosalyn and it frightens him. He knows now more than ever that without her, he can never be whole. He can never be Darkwing Duck.

Now back in the area of light, Darkwing ponders what he has just witnessed. His life, as it would be, if Gosalyn were to ever leave him. He has little time to think on this however before another vision unfolds before him. They are once more in the house on Avian way. They are standing in the living room as the chairs begin to spin, and then stop. There is an occupant in one of the chairs. He is dressed head to foot in a black spandex costume.

"_Flyer"_ Darkwing mutters as he watches the figure rise from the chair.

"Daaad!" a high pitch cry comes from the top of the stairs. As Darkwing watches, Gosalyn comes sliding down the banister. Instinctively, Darkwing yells and rushes to the banister to catcher her. Of course, she passes through him like an unnoticed holographic projection.

She lands feet first on the floor, loses her balance and falls back on her tail feathers. "Ooooph!"

"Yeah, well let that be a lesson," Darkwing snaps, still forgetting that she can not see or hear him.

"That had to smart!" Flyer laughs striding over to scoop her up in his arms playfully. He swings her wildly around the room before they both fall onto the floor with a plop.

"Hey! What's wrong with you! I'd never be that irresponsible with her!" Darkwing shouts.

"_You know of course they can't hear you?" _he hears that melodic tone. He glances over his shoulder at the angel.

"Yeah, I know. But It makes me feel better to yell at them anyway." he glances at the sight of Flyer seated in the middle of the living room floor with Gosalyn on his lap, then to the angel. "I knew Flyer seemed to be a happy-go-lucky type, but I could never be that irresponsible of a Father to Gos."

"_He isn't irresponsible in the least, Darkwing. He simply doesn't know her any more. You know of Tracker's reality and Guardian's, but you never really knew much about Flyer's life. In this reality, you Darkwing Duck, do not remember ever **being** Darkwing Duck. You have amnesia, and it is permanent."_

"Per - per- manent?" Darkwing stammers? "You mean as Flyer, I wouldn't remember Morgana or LP or..." his eyes turn back to his daughter, he gulps hard "Gosalyn?"

"_None of them." _the angel replies. She looks at Flyer who cradles the girl affectionately in his arms, allowing his long silky cape to drape loosely over her.

"_Flyer had been having to **wing it,** if you'll pardon the expression. But he's done an admirable job. Not to mention, he is far more laid back than any of your other selves."_

She looks at Darkwing's face. His gaze is fixed on his alternate reality self and his daughter. In this existence, he may never have driven her away, but doesn't forgetting her count, in some sense, as losing her?

Knowing Darkwing's thoughts the angel speaks _"You two are kindred spirits, Darkwing. You have a powerful connection. Your bond transcends simple memories."_

He understands that part. He had a connection with Gosalyn from the start. It's not hard to imagine himself falling in love with her spirit and zest for life all over again. "Where – where did I get that getup anyway, all-black was never my style."

"_It was given to you by Scrooge McDuck._" she answers.

Darkwing grimaces at the name. It is obvious he is holding a stubborn grudge against Scrooge for what happened at the museum.

The angel asks_ "Why are you so angry at him? You know he didn't intend to get you hurt."_

"If he hadn't interfered, I would have gotten the Fearsome Five and the jeweled Ornaments back. I had then beat until he showed up!"

The angel studies Darkwing's face quietly. _"How many times as your daughter come along in the middle of one of your fights with a criminal and caused him to escape. How many times has LaunchPad done something by mistake that let the bad guys get away? You don't begrudge them for it." _

Darkwing shrugs "That doesn't count."

"_Because it isn't really the incidentally at the museum that you're angry over, is it?"_ her words are more of a statement than a question.

Darkwing turns his head from her for a moment before speaking "No, I guess it's not."

"_Then what?" _she asks sounding quite innocent, but Darkwing has a feeling she already knows the answer. Just the same, he doesn't feel like talking about it.

In an attempt to change the subject, he asks "So where to next? Maybe when I was a kid and decided to run away from the clinic to see the world?"

"_I was thinking more of a little intermission, actually." _

" Intermission?" he asks, not understanding her meaning.

She takes his arm and starts to lead him "You'll see."

As they walk, a very strange feeling overtakes him. He begins to feel weak and lightheaded. His eye sight dims and the light begins to fade...

... "Come on DW, please! You'll be okay, I know it!" he hears a voice. He knows the voice well. In his semi-conscious mind he moves toward the voice, slowly.

As he moves forward in his mind, he becomes aware of pain throughout his body, as if he were on fire inside and out.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he starts to open his eyes.

Where is he?

"DW?" he hears the voice again. Launchpad?

He's back in his body then?

As he opens his eyes, everything is blurry around him. He hears LaunchPad's voice

"DW! Oh thank goodness!"

He tries to move – **_Ooch_**!! he is definitely back in his body! _Ouch_!

It takes him a while to become aware of his surroundings. Through the tented visors he can see ruin, rubble, and ash. All around them is the remains of the once beautiful museum. The air is still thick with the dust.

They don't have much space, everything is caved in around them.

He tries to speak but his throat is so tight, he can't get the words out. He can just make out a figure leaning over him – LaunchPad.

"DW?" The pilot's voice rings with concern. "Hey DW, You'll be okay. We'll get you out of here."

Darkwing wishes he could answer his friend. Tell LP he knows he'll make it. But he can't speak.

Oh, the pain!

LaunchPad pulls back out of his sight. Darkwing can hear voices, three of them.

He knows them, LaunchPad of course, Scrooge , and Finton Crackshell -aka – Gizmoduck.

Soon, another figure is next to Darkwing, it's Scrooge. Darkwing can almost feel his blood boil. The angel is right, he has some issues with McDuck, ones that do go beyond Scrooge's stunt in the museum earlier. But he honestly doesn't know what it is. Scrooge did pay to have Darkwing Tower and SHUSH headquarters rebuilt. He did contribute a lot in the battle against Bulba. So what is the problem.

"Just take it easy lad. Helps a' com'en." Scrooge tells him in a low unsteady tone. He is obviously shaken. Through the dark visors Darkwing can see that McDuck's clothes are tattered and torn from the explosion. This causes Darkwing to wonder for the first time just how he had survived the bomb! After all he was laying on top of it when it went off!

He can feel Scrooge touch his shoulder. He also begins to feel himself drifting out of consciousness. He vaguely hears McDuck's voice saying something to him about regretting his actions.

Darkwing can't remember the exact words, as he once again is pulled into darkness. This time, however, he does not emerge into a world of light. Rather, he finds himself standing in the middle of a clearing, near the woods, just outside of St. Canard.

There are others there, all gathered near a hilltop in the clearing.

Immediately, he knows where he is. This is the place where the vortex had opened. The vortex that had brought the future versions of himself into this time.

Before him, the scene plays out for a second time. He sees it all again. Himself sitting under a nearby tree talking to Tracker. He sees Scrooge approach Guardian and speak to him.

He remembers that day. Yes, He had spoken to Tracker, who had warned him about the possibility of losing Gosalyn. He recalls making a vow that day, to never take his daughter for granted. To never neglect her or ever do anything to make her doubt his love for her.

He also recalls well that uneasiness that swept over him when he saw Scrooge and Guardian talking.

As Darkwing watches it all happening over again, he becomes very curious. Just what did Scrooge and Guardian say to each other that day. He moves closer to them and listens.

_As it happened that day a year and a half ago, in the clearing near the woods..._

**_Scrooge looks over at Darkwing who was now talking to LaunchPad "Back at the Park, when you all revealed who you were. I noticed that Darkwing couldn't look you in the eye for some reason. He didn't seem to have that trouble with the others. Why do you suppose that is?" Scrooge is asking because he feel something very special about this Guardian and believed what ever it is, Darkwing has felt it as well._**

_**Guardian smiles "We all have out choices in life Mr McDuck. We have different paths we could follow. Most of us have the knowing deep with in our hearts which of those paths to choose. Just the same Ones destiny isn't always easy to face when we do recognize it."**_

_**Scrooge's face flushes. "You ...you mean. You are what he's meant to..." Scrooge glances over at Darkwing in utter shock. He composed himself then continued "That's how you knew so much more than your friends. For you, this is how it all happened isn't it?"**_

_**Guardian smirks "Well, from a different point of view the first time." he nods at Darkwing.**_

_**Scrooge again looks at Darkwing who seems to be having trouble with his vision. "Does he know?"**_

_**Guardian nodded "he knows. I knew. The moment I saw that duck in the white and silver costume, I knew." **_

_**A look of sorrow swept Scrooges face as he looks closely at Guardian's features "His eyes are damaged than."**_

"_**His vision will slowly start to bother him. He won't accept it at first. He'll make excuses. Finally, he admit it to himself and go to SHUSH for help. They'll fit him with a pair of visors that will help his eyes. He'll see well enough, but his eyes will be sensitive to light for the rest of his life. Not that he'll let it slow him down," Guardian adds assuringly.**_

_**Scrooge is inspecting Guardians features. "I take it he'll need that plastic surgery after all," He says taking note of how small and fine Guardian's bill is. "He'll pretend to be upset over it for awhile, but in truth," Guardian laughs "It was a definite improvement!"**_

_**Scrooge grins and nods. "I'll not say a thing about this Guardian, you have my word."**_

"_**I know you won't Mr McDuck." **_

"Yeah, well you got a lot more faith in him than I do fella!" Darkwing snorts.

In a few seconds, this scene too, fades into darkness and is replaced by a more recent event.

He is now in McCawber manor, before they had it completely renovated, obviously.

He is in the upstairs hallway. Something compels him to start walking. He hears voices in the small alcove just off of the library. He follows the sounds of the voices. He steps into the alcove to finds Scrooge and Tracker talking.

So this must have been when the group stayed the night with Morgana. The time they were fighting Bulba. Darkwing walks over to the fireplace where they are talking. He listens.

_**Tracker closes his eyes tightly. "What I tell you, Mr. McDuck, I ask you not to repeat it to another living soul. I've never told this to anybody else, not even my daughter." He looks woefully away from the rich duck. "I was born with a very mysterious illness. Mysterious and life-threatening. **_

_**As a child I would have these episodes where I would stop breathing, my vital signs would shut down..." He pauses to turn back to Scrooge who is listening intently. "You've heard of people who have had near death experiences and how it changed their lives?"**_

_**Scrooge nods but doesn't speak.**_

"_**Well, I had more than my share of them. As I can remember, on four different occasions, I found myself...somewhere else. **_

_**The first time I can remember I was very young. I was playing when all at once, I stopped breathing and collapsed. Everything went black around me. Then I was in this place. It was bright and warm and cheerful. Like an entire world made of soft sunshine. But there was also a place nearby of darkness. I could see – creatures – monsters in that darkness, but they couldn't cross into the light.**_

_**I wasn't afraid of them either. Then I recall hearing somebody talking to me. They were telling me things. I don't recall much about that except that they kept saying that I was called. They referred to me as a guardsmen. A Twilight's Guard. They told me to go back...and I did. I woke up in a hospital bed. That was the first time. There were others. Times I almost died, but was sent back for some reason. I'm not really clear on all of that any more. I've forgotten."**_

_**Tracker sighs heavily rubbing his fingertips over his forehead.**_

_**Scrooge is staring at him, captivated by what he has just been told. No wonder Darkwing Duck seems so otherworldly at times. It takes Scrooge a moment to find his voice again. "That would explain a few things." **_

_**This could be the source of the special something Guardian and supposedly Darkwing both possessed. Scrooge always heard that those who had these near death experiences saw things in a different light that others.**_

"_**But, I don't understand lad. You had the experience. Why could you not wear the Armor with the same success as the others? You said you lost it. How? What did you mean?"**_

"_**I made some mistakes, big mistakes. Ones I had every opportunity to correct – until it was finally too late. I lost everything that made me Darkwing Duck, even the memories of those child hood experiences. It's all gone."**_

The scene fades...

Darkwing turns his eyes from the scene, disquieted by this realization "He knows?"

_To be continued..._

_**From the Author:** Is it my imagination or are my chapters getting longer? Again if the plot is getting to complex, let me know. I'll try to simplify it a bit._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**Author's Note. **Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 4**_

"Scrooge knows about my past _and_ my future!" Darkwing raises his hands to cover his face. "I don't like this, I don't like this at all." he mutters. "McDuck has no right to know these things about me."

"_But the fact remains, he does know."_ a voice comes from right next to him. In surprise, he jumps. He glances down to see the face of his guardian angel.

"Do you have to sneak up on me like that?" he gripes.

"_I beg your pardon. Angels don't sneak – we **appear**." _she corrects. There is a trace of humor in her voice.

Taking a deep breath Darkwing shakes his head. He takes notice that he is again engulfed in the light. There are no more scenes. "Where were you a minute ago?

Why did you let me go back to my body? Where were you when I was seeing Tracker and Guardian blabbing my secrets to McDuck."

"_I was close by. You were never really alone."_

She studies his sober expression _"You do realize that it is your alter **selves** that revealed your secrets to McDuck."_

"Yeah, the traitors!" he grumbles.

"_Darkwing, do you also understand that they are all a part of you? They are simply different choices you made in life. But they were choices made on what always lay inside **you**. Choices made from the heart. As Guardian said_

_**We all have our choices in life. We have different paths we could follow."**_

"Yeah, well I can tell you one thing I don't like about my supposed _destined_ self. He's a blabber mouth!"

The angel can't help but chuckle _"As I said, they are part of **you**!"_

"Ha ha – funny!" Darkwing grouses sourly. Deciding to change the subject he asks "So where the next stop...let's see – Tracker, Flyer...I guess the next vision you want to show me is Nomad?"

She looks at him peculiarly. _"Why do you assume that?"_

At this point Darkwing is stumped. He doesn't have any idea why he is being shown any of this stuff. "I just assumed that you were showing me all my lives as they could have been. Isn't Nomad one of those choices?"

"_Nomad – Nomad was a **mistake**." _the angel explains guardedly.

"What?"

She turns her eyes from him as she searches for the right words. When she looks back at him, she asks "Do you remember what Nomad said about his reality?"

Darkwing nods. "He said he was a clone of myself. That in his reality, I had died in that fire two years ago."

"_That's right. But Tracker. Flyer and Guardian where all **you**. They were choices you made. Tracker and Flyer where like reflections in a mirror, they were images of you. Not Nomad. He may have been a artificially created copy of Darkwing Duck, but he was not you. Scientist had no right to do what they did. That poor boy," _a look of sorrow comes to her eyes and this is the first time, Darkwing realizes she seems sad. _"Nomad was an individual, a whole entire person who was never allowed to be a real person. Not only because he was forced to live in your shadow, but also your memories as well. Your DNA gave him many things of yours including recollections of your life."_

"What, he had my memories? Like knowing Gosalyn and remembering the clinic as a child? That kind of stuff."

She nods _"His life was never really his own. How could it be when his **mind** belonged to somebody else?"_

"That's awful." Is all Darkwing can say. He would never wish such an existence on anybody. He glances dolefully at the angel "But he's at peace now, isn't he? He didn't have to go back to that?"

She nods, "He's at peace." she answers quietly.

Darkwing nods soberly. If he is learning anything from this experience, it's that he is very lucky to have the life that he does. "So what's next?" he asks softly.

"_Come,"_ she says extending her hand, he takes her and they once again are swallowed up by the warm light.

The scene they come upon is far different from any they have yet seen. It is the city of St. Canard, down town. It is winter time. There is snow on the ground and snow is falling. Everything is clean and orderly.

It is evening, but there are no people on the streets. There are no people in the stores. There are no cars on the roads.

"This is creepy," Darkwing tels the angel. "What's going on?"

From over head, the humming of an engine draws his attention. He glances up to see what looks like the ThunderQuack, hovering through the skies. But it can't be the ThunderQuack, it is far too small. Soon, another aircraft, identical to the first comes into sight. Then there is another, and yet another. They swarm the skies like giant locusts. Spotlights shine down from the small aircraft, searching the grounds below.

"What are those things? What are they looking for?"

"_They are robots patrolling the area for any lawbreakers."_

Darkwing looks at her with puzzlement. "Lawbreakers?" Again he lifts his gaze to the ThunderQuack like, robots overhead. A feeling of dread sweeps over him "Tell me this isn't _his_ world."he says to the angel with a woeful tone.

"_I'm afraid so, Darkwing."_ she answers _"This is the reality of_ _Dark Warrior Duck."_

_To be continued..._

_**From the Author:** Sorry this one is so short. I'll try to get a longer chapter up soon._


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**Author's Note. **Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 5**_

"Why?! Why here?! This is one place I don't want to be!" Darkwing exclaims to the angel. His voice almost pleading with her "I don't want to see Dark Warrior! Never again!"

"_But it is important that you do see him again, Darkwing. He is part of you, just like all the others." _the petite angel replies.

"No! Not like the others! They were all good and kind. Dark Warrior is a monster. He is everything I don't want to be! Please, I can't stand the thought of seeing him again.

Darkwing knows all he wants to about this twisted version of himself. In fact, as far as he is concerned, he knows to much about Dark Warrior.

Darkwing recalls what he felt that day he came face to face with Dark Warrior.

It was more than a little unsettling to come face to face with his own _dark side_.

Dark Warrior had seemed to him, to be an empowered version of Negaduck. It makes Darkwing ill to think that he had the potential, somewhere deep down, to become such a monster.

The angel cocks her head slightly _"Listen." _she tells Darkwing.

He listens.

At first, he can hear nothing but the low howls of the winter winds, but then the sound of sirens blare in the distance. Before Darkwing can ask what they are for, he finds himself standing in a new location. In front of a burning apartment building. People are running from the doors and climbing out windows to escape the raging flames. Darkwing recognizes the building. It's only a few miles from his old house on Avian Way.

As he watches the people fleeing the burning building, he wishes he could help them.

Fire engines arrive as the fire fighters go to work to put out the fire. With ladders and protective gear, they begin their efforts to rescue those still trapped inside.

Valiantly, the fire fighters brave the inferno to reach the victims. But seldom is disaster without casualties. The fire has spread to quickly and they are soon blocked from reaching the people trapped in the top floor. As the structure begins to collapse, there is no way of getting to them. Not even from above.

In the excitement, nobody sees him. He stands silently in the shadows of the night, watching. Without speaking, he strides into the middle of the street and kneels by a manhole. He lifts the cover and quickly descends into the sewers below.

He moves directly under the burning building. Finding the pipelines that lead to the building, he begins to shut off many of the pressure valves. The water pressure begins to build in the main pipe that is directly under the building. Pulling out his _rocket_ gun, he fires straight up.

The rocket bursts through the ceiling of the sewer and straight up through several floors of the apartment, before fizzling out. Dark Warrior glances up into the black smoke and flames that fill the building. He steps back and fires another rocket into the now bulging water pipes. In an irruption, a great blast of water shoots upward like a geyser.

Instantly, the flames that had blocked the fire fighters from rescuing the victims, are out. The firemen aren't sure of what happened, but they take advantage of the good fortune to get the rest of the people out.

Soon, everybody is out of the building, all safe, all still alive.

"What happened. How did the water just burst right out of the ground like that?" one of the fire fighters asks a coworker.

I don't know." his friend answers "Guess the heat from the fire just caused the pipes to burst. Lucky break, huh?"

Below them, just under the open manhole, Dark Warrior listens quietly to the conversation. With a heavy sigh, he climbs from the sewer and slips away unseen.

"He didn't even take credit for saving those people?" Darkwing asks the angel with complete astonishment.

"_Looks that way." _she answers softly. _"Keep watching."_

There is a soft light all around them, for only a moment, and now they are standing in what use to be Darkwing Tower. It now lays in ruin. Dark and cold, the tower is all but abandoned. Darkwing gasps. "What happened here?"

"_Dark Warrior left this place a long time ago."_ the angel explains. _"There were just to many memories here."_

"So he just left?"

"_Yes, however, LaunchPad does use it as a spare garage to fix up an old taxi cab he drives."_

"Uh, yeah, gos told me about that part." Darkwing admits "I never understood why LP didn't go back to Duckburg and work for old pinch-penny again."

"_Maybe because he always hoped his old friend would come to his senses again. Maybe because he hoped Gosalyn would come home someday, and make things right again." _The angel explains. She sees the look of guilt on Darkwing's face. The thought of having the potential to become such a hard hearted, power crazed overlord disturbs him to no end.

It is then that they hear the sound of foots steps resounding off the metal walls of the large edifice. They watch as a solitary figure enters from the ledge. It is Dark Warrior.

"I thought he abandoned this place?" Darkwing asks.

"_Keep watching." _is all the reply he gets.

Darkwing turns his attention back to Dark Warrior, who marches across the tower, his heavy foots steps sounding like clashes of thunder on the steel plated floor. He goes to a part of the tower that had once been made into a sort of rumpus room for his daughter.

The area is now covered in layers of dust and cobwebs. There, he stood, looking around at the tattered remains of Gosalyn's play things. He stands very straight with his fists clinched tightly at his sides. His powerful shoulders become rigid.

Then, to Darkwing surprise, he burst into tears, burying his face in his hands. The

cold hard exterior fades as he slumps to the floor his entire body trembling as he sobs. Darkwing can just make out the utterance that escapes his lips "Gosalyn."

This scene is a familiar one. Isn't this much like Tracker's reality?

Only Tracker didn't become a power crazed control freak when Gosalyn vanished.

Yet, he had withdrawn into himself the same way Dark Warrior had.

Darkwing shakes his head as he watches Dark Warrior. This is the monster that he was so afraid of becoming?

Darkwing begins to understand that Dark Warrior was not so hard and cruel as he was – _lost_. Like Tracker, Dark Warrior had lost his daughter. Without Gosalyn, he was incomplete, he was empty – he was _lonely_.

A flash of purple buzzes past Dark Warriors head. He jumps in surprise as a Flash Quack hovers in front of him. Quickly, Dark Warrior composes himself as the hatch of the tiny vehicle opens to reveal a screen. A face appears on the screen. One Dark Warrior had not seen in a long time. J. Gander Hooter.

"**_Dark Warrior Duck."_** the elder gentleman addresses him.

"J. Gander – I am surprised to hear from you. What do I owe this pleasure?"

The older gentleman is quiet for a long moment. **_"I just wanted to congratulate you for what you did at the apartments today."_ **he finally says.

"Apartments?" Dark Warrior attempts to sound as if he didn't understand what the elderly gentleman was talking about.

"_**Yes, you see the firefighters found a burnt out rocket in the building after the fire was out. Not to mention a really big whole in several floors of the apartment, leading from the sewers below. The very place the water lines happened to burst and extinguish the fire."**_

"What a stroke of luck for them, huh." Dark Warrior replies sourly.

"_**We both know it wasn't luck, don't we."**_ J. Gander insist.

"Do we?" Dark Warrior asks crossly. "J Gander, do you really think it would matter to them if they knew the truth? Do you think it would change one bit of how they felt about me?"

"**_It might. You could try it and find out, you know. Let the people know you still care..."_**

"No I think not." Dark Warrior cut him off. "Besides, aren't you afraid you will get into trouble for contacting me? I'm not any more popular with SHUSH these days than with the citizens of St. Canard."

"That's because you use the B.E.A. we provided you with to rule over the city, not protect it. Dark Warrior – _Darkwing_, you still have the heart of a hero. You proved that today. And there was a time when the people loved you. It's not to late to make amends, you know."

There is an uneasy silence for a long moment before Dark Warrior replies. The harsh cold tone having returned to his voice "_Make amends_, **_for what_**?! For keeping the city safe from crime? To keep morality alive in the people?! I'm not at fault here J. Gander! If people would learn to live more responsibly, more law abidingly, I wouldn't have to go to such extremes! They're like foolish little children who don't know how to take care of themselves, so somebody else has to do it for them! And that somebody is me!" With that, he delivers a blow that shatters the screen and causes the FlashQuack to spin out of control and crash into the wall. Dark Warrior watches as the tiny replica of the ThunderQuack falls broken to the floor.

Darkwing's heart sinks as he watches Dark Warrior march from the tower never bothering to look back. As the dark overlord vanishes from sight, Darkwing can only watch after him with great sadness. He now understands where Dark Warriors _seemingly_ cruel nature comes from.

It was nothing more than a defense mechanism, a shield put up to keep from letting anybody get to close, ever again. Losing Gosalyn was too much to bare. He wouldn't allow anybody to get that close to him again. He'd never be hurt that way again.

Darkwing no longer sees Dark Warrior as a form of pure evil. Dark Warrior, like Tracker had dealt with the loss of his daughter in all the wrong ways.

Darkwing doesn't have much time to ponder this, before he once again becomes aware of pain. He turns to the angel "I'm going back into my body."

"_It's alright, just go."_ she says soothingly as she lifts a gentle hand to touch his face before everything around him grows dark...

_To be continued..._

_**From The Author:** Oh, it's been so long between chapters hasn't it? Sorry, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can._


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**Author's Note. **Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 6**_

Again Darkwing is pulled into darkness, again he becomes aware of the physical pain in his body. Slowly, he becomes aware of voices near him. He focuses on the voices. He knows them. One is LaunchPad, one is Fenton Crackshell, the other Scrooge.

Darkwing struggles to open his eyes. Oh, he is so weak, even breathing is hard for him. He is barely able to open his eyes. Things around him are dark and blurry.

He tries to move, to raise up...

_Ahhhh! Oh that hurts!_

"Here Lad, don't be doing that!" he hears a voice with a strong Scottish accent. A hand gently presses down on his chest, pushing him back to the floor. "Don't be trying to move Darkwing. Not right now!" Scrooge instructs.

"Where...where is... LaunchPad?" Darkwing rasps between gasps.

"He and Fenton just went to try to find a way out of here. The entire building came down around us."

It takes a few seconds for Scrooge's words to register "Fenton?" he croaks, his voice trembling from the pain. "Fenton ... not...not Giz...Gizmo...du-duck?"

"No. That hot-wired hot-head Megavolt managed to completely short circuit his whole suit this time." Scrooge explains. "The matter of fact, Fenton's own clothes were actually scorched."

"Aw, h - his – _**MaM'a** –_really...should s - send Megs the cleaning...bill." Darkwing chokes out the words managing a small smile in spite of his pain.

And in spite of their predicament, Scrooge found that he had to smile at the remark. Darkwing had found great pleasure in taunting Gizmoduck/Fenton with the fact of how he had come to discover his true identity. It had been this past May that both Fenton Crackshell and Gizmoduck were in town on business for Scrooge McDuck. An odd coincidence, Darkwing had noticed, that when ever Fenton was in town, so was Gizmoduck. But it wasn't that fact alone that had tipped him off that Fenton was Gizmoduck. It just happened that the day of their arrival in St. Canard, was mother's Day. Fenton had commented to Drake about getting his _Mam'a._ a gift. That same day, Gizmoduck had mentioned to Darkwing Duck that he needed to get something for his _Mam'a._

Darkwing had found it more than a coincidence that there were two people that worked for Scrooge McDuck that referred to their mothers as _Mam'a._

Scrooge almost laughed as he recall the expression on Fenton's face when Darkwing had confronted him with it.

It is fair, however, Scrooge decides, since Darkwing had revealed his true identity to them at the same time.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Scrooge sits on the floor next to Darkwing. "Look laddie, I am truly sorry about all this. I know it's my fault, all of it." Scrooge takes pause to see Darkwing straining to see through the dust covered visors. "Here lad." Scrooge fumbles around in his coat pocket and finds a clean silk handkerchief. He removes the visors from Darkwing's face and wipes them off. He carefully replaces them again.

He sits back, leaning against the wall. He wonders where LaunchPad and Fenton could be. So much of the museum had completely collapsed in the explosion.

They were lucky to be alive.

The events play out again in the rich ducks mind. Scrooge just remembers LaunchPad grabbing him by the arm and diving under a heavy display case when the explosion took place. That was perhaps the only reason the entire building hadn't collapsed on them.

He glances around at the small storage area they now occupy. Gizmoduck had been in this very spot when the bomb went off. This is where Darkwing had put him after Megavolt had knocked him unconscious.

After the explosion, both Scrooge and LaunchPad must have been knocked out. When they started coming too, they could here Fenton calling out to them.

Scrooge recalls pushing aside chard boards and pieces of stone as he and Launchpad crawled from under the heavy display case.

The three of them had searched for Darkwing under the rubble, having found him, by some miracle, still alive.

Scrooge glances at the armor that the Masked Mallard still wears. It was the B.EA. The armor had saved his life, that is the only explanation. That has to be it. Though Darkwing was injured, the armor was virtually undamaged, outside of being slightly scorched.

Scrooge notices Darkwing watching him. It makes him uncomfortable. He is sure Darkwing blames him for all of this. And well he should.

"I know I really messed up this time, I know that." Scrooge glazes at the pain stricken face of the crime fighter "I – I can only hope that you can forgive me for this...someday."

Darkwing turns his eyes from the rich duck. In truth, he wasn't sure he wanted to forgive him. Perhaps not so much because of what McDuck caused to happen in the museum, but for what he knew. Darkwing didn't like McDuck having knowledge about him. Darkwing has to wonder why Tracker and Guardian would trust Scrooge with any information about his life.

Truth be told, the only reason he told McDuck his true identity was as a precaution. If McDuck started coming around too often, he may have figured out on his own that Drake Mallard and Darkwing Duck were one in the same.

They had made a deal not to reveal anything to the kids. The triplets were good kids, but they could be blabbermouths. Gosalyn could keep her mouth shut, alright, but why risk it. Strangely, none of McDuck's kids seemed to suspect that Gosalyn was Quiverwing. The innocence of children, Darkwing supposes.

"_Ahh,"_ Darkwing gasps as a searing pain shoots through his entire body. He closes his eyes to try and relax, to ease the pain. He takes long slow deep breaths.

He focuses his thoughts. The best he can, on good things. He thinks of this coming Christmas, Morgana and Gosalyn. This is there first Christmas as a real family.

As he ponders these things, he finds that it does indeed, help ease the pain.

He feels something cool touch his forehead. He opens his eyes to see Scrooge placing a damp cloth on his head.

Scrooge sees Darkwing looking at him. "Fenton found a box of bottles of spring water back here. Maybe this will make ya' a bit more comfortable, laddie."

Again Darkwing closes his eyes. He is finding it harder and harder to hold a grudge against McDuck. He lets his body relax for a second time. The pain is fading – or is _he_ fading? He can feel himself drifting again into darkness. But it doesn't scare him, he knows what to expect this time.

Soon...

From the ruins of the museum into darkness – into light. Darkwing is now standing in the soft glow of light again. He is alone at the moment, but he knows all he has to do is wait. She'll come.

She steps out from, seemingly, nowhere. The angel. She greets him with a warm smile._ "Are you ready?" _she asks extending an open hand. Without a word, Darkwing takes it and they walk through the light.

Now they are standing in St. Canard park. It is apparently, spring time. It's late afternoon and the sun shines through the few puffy clouds that are scattered across the endless blue sky.

"Well, this is nice." Darkwing comments to the angel. "I'm guessing that we are now in Guardians reality?"

"_That seems be appropriate, wouldn't it? Come on, now." _ Still holding his hand, the angel guides him through the park. There seems to be some sort of activity going on. Small stands and booths, pony rides and games - a type of fair. There is a banister stretched in the front of the booths – _**Charity**_** B****_azaar_. **Under the large white banner was a smaller one – _**Meet Quiverwing Quack**_,_** in person.**_

"Quiverwing?" Darkwing asks, puzzled. He and the angel continue to walk toward the crowd. They slip through the tightly packed group of kids and adults.

When Darkwing can finally see his daughter, he is surprised. Gosalyn, not much older than she now is, stands in the center of the crowd, dressed in a newer and more improved version of her Quiverwing costume. She is signing autographs and having her picture taken with fans.

Darkwing stares in bafflement "This is _Guardian's_ reality, right?" he asks the angel.

"_Yes,"_ the angel answers. She sees the puzzled expression on Darkwing's face. _"What's wrong?"_ she asks cocking her head slightly.

Darkwing looks from the angel to the vision of his daughter. "Well, Gos is still so young. She only looks a little older than she is now."

"_And..." _The angel asks, not seeing his problem with this.

"Well, the Quiverwing that was with Guardian was a _lot older_ – that's all."

"_Ah, you were expecting to see the same Quiverwing that came into your time – and the same Guardian, no doubt."_

Darkwing looks at her not understanding. "What do you mean, the _same_ Guardian? This is the reality of the Duck in White, isn't it?"

The angel sighs lightly and shakes her head _"Darkwing, you do understand, don't you? When you speak of Guardian's reality, you are speaking of your **own** reality. Guardian is just yourself, a little farther into the future. He is the person you are even now becoming."_

Darkwing shrugs his shoulders listlessly, not really wanting to get into the _Your Life is Already Preordained _discussion. Instead, he turns his attention back to Quiverwing. Instead of a blue jersey, she wears a black vest over a simple white shirt. The rest of the costume is much the same as the original. Darkwing studies her, trying to decide just how old she is. One, maybe two years older than she is now. Her green eyes sparkle from behind the black mask. She is most obviously enjoying the attention.

The festivities are interrupted by the sound of an engine roaring. Darkwing turns in the direction the noise is coming from. To his dismay, he sees Negaduck's motorcycle tearing through the park, running over anything in it's path.

"Oh no." Darkwing mutters. He watches as Negaduck speeds recklessly toward the crowded bazaar.

Without hesitation, Quiverwing steps from the panicking crowd. She draws her bow and fires an arrow into the cycles front tire.

Negaduck loses control of the bikes as it skids wilding and flips over. The villain leaps free as the motorcycle crashes into a nearby tree.

"You little! I just had that waxed!" Negaduck bellows as he spin to face the girl.

"Well, maybe you should have invested in a _seatbelt_, Nega-nut!" Quiverwing retorts defiantly. She plants her feet firmly on the ground with her fists on her hips.

Her boldness only succeeds in infuriating the super criminal.

"Oh I would have." He growls as he steps towards her "But I blew all my allowance on _this_!" He whips out a heavy black machete and points in at the girl.

Still standing sever feet from the villain, Quiverwing didn't feel very intimidated by the weapon.

"What? Is that suppose to _scare_ me?" she taunts "My dad uses bigger knives than that to carve the Thanksgiving turkey!"

"Oh Really," Negaduck growls as he presses a button on the handle. The blade ignites into flames.

The look of shock that sweeps the girls face is priceless to the criminal. "Aw, what's the matter little girl. Did I scare you?" Negaduck mocks. Then without warning, he bounds toward her causing the young girl to stumble backwards in surprise. She falls. With a laugh that sounds as though it is coming from the devil himself, Negaduck raises the weapon as he stands over the girl. A gleam of pure pleasure shows in his eyes as he brings the blade down towards the cringing child.

_To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**Author's Note. **Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 7**_

"**_NO!" _**A cry of utter terror escapes Darkwing's lips, as watches as Negaduck brings the flaming blade down toward the cringing child. The fact that all that he sees is merely a vision offers him no comfort.

But in a heartbeat the nightmare is over as Negaduck finds himself reeling backwards through the air. He lands hard on the pavement a few yards from where he had been standing. It takes the criminal a moment to come to his senses. Sitting up slowly, he sees his arch enemy, dressed in the B.E.A., standing protectively over his daughter.

"Why you." he growls as he rises to his feet. Still gripping the hilt of his blade he starts toward the Duck in White. He raises the blade ."I've had all I'm going to take from you, Darkwing. Fancy new armor or not, you can't do that to..." He trails off as he notices that his machete blade has been broken in half.

"Uhh," he glances around, in confusion, for the other half. He spots in laying a few feet from Darkwing. He also sees Darkwing lift his white gloved hand to wipe a slight smudged mark off the side.

He _chopped_ it in half with a knife hand strike?! That was adding insult to injury.

"You think you're so tough with that new armor?!" Negaduck attempts to sound unimpressed. "Why don't you take it off? Than I can pound you to a smudge!"

Darkwing laughs "Yeah, sure Negs. You mean like that time when you tried to make the whole city think I was a villain? Did you win that little battle? I don't seem to recall.

Or maybe the time you thought you could beet me by taking all the powers of the other Fearsome Five? What happened then? Of course there was the time when I followed you back to the Negaverse..."

"_**Alright already!!" **_Negaduck bellows "So you've been lucky – a lot. I can still take you." Negaduck doesn't get a chance to act on his boast, as an arrow strikes the ground at his feet. He glances down at it just in time to see it explode in a cloud of milky white smoke.

Quiverwing steps next to her father, bow in hand.

"Nice shot kiddo." Darkwing says putting an arm around her.

"Yep, yep, yep, what can I say. I'm gifted." she boasts playfully.

When the smoke fades, Negaduck is rolling around on the ground scratching uncontrollably.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! This itching powder feels like it's clinging to my skin!" he yelps miserably as he attempts to use a nearby tree as a scratching post.

"Oh, that's not itching powder," Quiverwing explains "It's an industrial strength _cooties cloud!_ A new gimmick I'm trying out."

"Co – **cooties** cloud!" Negaduck cries out and makes a mad dash for the nearest duck pond, still scratching wildly.

Darkwing looks at his daughter skeptically "Cooties Cloud?"

She grins at him sheepishly "OK, it's itching powder. I'll tell Negaduck the truth... _later_."

With an amused guffaw, the Duck in White hoists his daughter onto his shoulders.

"Well, I think the bazaar is over for today! I'll just call the boys and blue to pick up Negs at the nearest pond and we'll go home. " he tells her. He glances back at the people, anxiously packing up their booths to leave. He can't blame them, really, after Negaduck's little show.

"That's OK, pop. I was getting writers cramps from signing _all those autographs_!" She brags.

"Oh you poor baby! Maybe we should put some ice on that for it doesn't swell too much!" Darkwing coos mockingly.

Quiverwing glances at her gloved hand "Nah, I don't think my hand hurts that bad!"

"I was talking about your head!" he snickers as he carries her toward the awaiting ThunderQuack.

"Oh ha-ha – very funny! That's so funny I forgot to laugh!" Quiverwing gripes as she pushes his white fedora over his eyes, playfully.

From his spectators point of view, Darkwing watches his daughter and his future self climb into the ThunderQuack.

"Well, they - _we_ seem to be happy." he says then glances at the angel with uncharacteristic meekness "Are we?"

The angel smiles at him. The next thing Darkwing knows, they are standing in the

living room of the manor.

The angel glances around the room, admiringly. _"You really did a wonderful job redecorating this place."_

Yeah, I'm really proud of it." he admits. He looks around the room at the some what rustic, Early American style. The fireplace is large with a split log mantle.

There is a faux bear rug in the center of a hardwood floor. The rest of the house had a similar appearance. Darkwing had attempted to create an atmosphere that would be _normal_ yet comfortable for Morgana. He had succeeded. They had even set off a small alcove of the room as a pet-condo for Eek, Squeak and Archie. It had little houses and play things for them, even a 5 inch screen colored TV – with cable! They even had a skylight!

As Darkwing and the angel watch, the closet door under the staircase opens and his future self and is daughter walk out. They are no longer in costume. "You know, I kind of miss the chairs." Gosalyn comments to her father.

"Yeah, but at least with an elevator closet, I don't have to worry about somebody accidentally discovering the secret passage to the tower. Besides we still use the chairs at the tower." Darkwing points out.

Gosalyn skips over to the sofa and flops down to watch television. But she no sooner jumps onto the sofa than something very big and very hairy dashes into the living room and jumps on _her_!

"Hey! Get off!" Gosalyn yelps in surprise. Drake immediately sprints over to rescue his daughter.

"What is that thing!" Darkwing ask the angel as he watches Gosalyn and Drake both trying to get the big – whatever, off of her.

"_What does it look like?" _the angel asks him with evidence of amusement in her voice.

"I - I don't know – relative of Morgana's?" he hazards a guess. Walking closer to the scene, he watches his future self and his daughter struggling with the - thing.

He can see that the creature is very large – it seems to have four legs. He watches as Drake gets a bear hug around the creature's waists and heaves it off his daughter. Drake and the creature both land on the floor. In a surprising fast move, the creature turns it's attention on Drake. Drake doesn't have a chance to get to his feat, the creature pounces on him, pinning him to the floor. Drake falls to his back as the creature simply sits on him.

Darkwing seizes the chance to get a good look at the beast. He can see from the back– it's big and a dark golden in color. Darkwing walks around to see the face of this creature. What he sees isn't anything he expects.

There are two big round dark brown eyes. Both of those eyes fixed intently on the _victim_ it sits upon. A long snout with a black nose at the end and a pair of floppy ears perked up on the sides of the head.

A dog?

"That thing is a _dog_..isn't it?" Darkwing asks the angel.

"_A **big** dog. The dog you had considered getting for her at one time," _The angel is obviously amused.

_  
"_So I actually got it for her. But it's so big! Really big!"

The angel chuckles _"I hate to tell you Darkwing, that really big dog is still just a **pup**."_

"Ugh, don't tell me we keep it in the house." Darkwing moans.

The angel doesn't reply, she just grins and turns her attention to the amusing scene before her.

Darkwing moans again, taking her silence to be a _yes_.

"Gosalyn!" Drake bellows from beneath the large, overly playful pup. "Get this flea trap off of me!"

Gosalyn tries to suppress the laughter as she climbs off the sofa and takes the dog by the bright red collar around it's neck. "Come on boy," she heaves hard and manages to get the big pup off her dad.

"Ugh," Drake grumbles as he starts to get up "Honey, wouldn't you rather have a pony? Something we can keep _outside_, in a stall?"

Seeming to understand Drake's remark, the dog again pounces, knocking him to the ground a second time, before laying down atop him. The dog has a look of satisfaction on his face, as though savoring a great victory.

Gosalyn burst into a fit of laughter as she grabs the collar again "Come on boy!"

She tugs at the animals collar and is able to get him off her dad. Deciding to give in, the dog climbs off of his prey and is content to flop his rear end on the carpet next to the girl.

Still laughing Gosalyn takes her dad by the arm to help him up. "He's just playing pop," she tells him.

"Yeah I know. But I think your pup needs a change. I Know! Why don't we let him spend a few days in Duckburg with Mrs. Crackshell! He could guard the trailer for her!" Drake suggests.

"Dad, he hates Fenton – and you _know_ it! The last time Fenton came over, the dog wouldn't even let him get out of the car!"

A sly grin spreads across Drakes face, he laughs "Yeah, It took me two weeks to train him to do that."

"Dad!" Gosalyn chides "You're terrible!"

"What have you done this time, Drake," a voice calls out from the doorway. They turn to see Morgana enter carrying a baby in her arms.

"Nothing dear. Just talking about how nice Fenton's last visit was." Drake chuckles, walking over to kiss his wife.

She looks at him suspiciously.

Drake turns his attention to the baby. "Hey, how's my girl." he takes the baby lovingly in his arms and cradles her. "Did you miss daddy today? Hmmm, did you miss your da-da?"

"Da-da?" Darkwing asks the angel "That," he peers at the baby in Drakes arms "That's my baby. Mine and Morgana's, I mean?"

"_Yes, she is beautiful, isn't she?"_

Knowing they are not seen or heard, Darkwing walks over to better see the baby. Her eyes are the same color as Morgana's. "Oh, she's adorable!" Darkwing says softly. But then the thought crosses his mind. He glances down at Gosalyn and is heartbroken to see darkness cloud the girls face, as she watches her dad with the baby. "Oh no." he mutters.

He watches as his future self carries the baby over to see the dog. Instinctively, the baby grabs the big floppy ears and gives them a tug. The dog only responds by wagging his tell and giving the baby a big wet kiss. The baby squeals in excitement, before attempting to bite the dog! Her father pulls her back just in time. "Oh no sweetie, doggy hair taste awful!" he laughs.

Morgana laughs as she steps over to the dog to pet it's big head. "So Gosalyn, how was your big day of being a celebrity." she asks the girl.

Gosalyn looks at her stepmother. The solemn look that was on her little face only seconds ago vanishes quickly. She grins "Oh it was great. I must have signed a thousand autographs. I even had an offer for my own cereal Quiver-_O_'s!" she chirps.

Morgana grins and looks at her husband "Oh really? Why didn't anybody offer you your own cereal, Drake dear?" she asks teasingly.

"I don't know, guess because cereal is aimed at kids. I did have that offer to be a spokesman for Badger's Coffee, you know."

"That's only because you single handedly keep them in business, my love." she laughs.

"True." Drake admits cheerfully. "Speaking of coffee.."

"I just made a fresh pot." she replies anticipating his request.

"Great, I could use a cup after kicking Negs tale feathers."

"Negaduck?!" Morgana interrupts "Did I miss something here? When did Negaduck show up?"

"Oh," Darkwing is caught off guard "Well, he tried to ruin the charity bazaar. You know how Negs is, can't stand to here of any good deeds being done." he explains then added with a proud smile "But we made short work of him, didn't we kiddo?" he asks Gosalyn.

"Yep, by time we were through with him, Negs was _itching_ to get away!"!" Gosalyn says with confidence.

Drake rolls his eyes "Oh brother!" Drake jokes. "Now, I really could go for a cup of java. What say you take your little sister upstairs and play with her in her room for awhile, kiddo?" Drake asks holding the baby out for Gosalyn to take.

A look of uncertainty crosses Gosalyn's face. "I think I better feed the dog before he eats your slippers again." she says taking the dog by the collar. "Come on boy!" she says leading him towards the front door. Drake and Morgana watch her go.

"After all we've done to keep this from happening." Darkwing tells the angel with

a heavy heart. "She still feels left out."

"_Don't be so sure. It's not as bad as all that."_

Drake carefully hands the baby back to his wife. "After all we've done to keep this from happening. She still feels left out."

"It's not as bad as all that." Morgana assures him. "She's not upset over it. It's just a lot for her to get use to. In such a short time, she has had to except so much." Morgana explains "But you know, I think the pup really is a big help to her. It gives Gosalyn something that is really hers. Taking care of him has even made her more responsible.

"That's true," Drake admits "And she even bought me new slippers to replace the ones he _ate. All four pairs!"_

Morgana giggles "Don't forget your formal tux, your winter gloves, three pairs of cashmere socks, your bath robe, your swimming trunks..."

"Alright! I get the idea! I really need some coffee." with that they turn and head into the kitchen.

"Cashmere socks?" Darkwing asks perplexedly "I don't have any cashmere socks."

"_Not yet,"_ the angel says, then adds with a laugh "_And not for very long!" _She takes Darkwing's arm _"Come on, this isn't the last stop."_

"Oh," Darkwing moans wearily as he goes with her "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm buying a doghouse!"

_To Be continued..._

_**From the Author:** OK, to answer the questions about the Ghost Rider resemblance with Negaduck and the flaming sword. No, I didn't get the idea from Ghost Rider. I actually was going to use a spinning blade but nothing too lethal about that. Then, I thought about an electrical sword – can you say Megavolt! So the next idea was a flaming blade._

_Please let me know if the story is too complicated or just **boring**._


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**Author's Note. **Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen: Chapter 8**_

They move again into the realm of pure light. Darkwing has lost track of how many times they have done this. He doesn't recall how many visions he has seen. How many echoes have called out to him from the past, through this experience. How many hints of the future has he witnessed? He has lost track of all time. How long have they been doing this? Minutes? Maybe hours? Maybe days? He isn't certain anymore.

They stop in the center of the light. "Now what?" Darkwing asks curiously.

"I just want to check up on a friend. He has one of the more -_challenging_ assignments. The angel gazes ahead of them into the light.

In a few seconds a rather tall husky looking bulldog emerges. In spite of his intimidating physique, the bulldog possesses a kindly face. Though, at the moment, the face is riddled with fatigue and discouragement. He lumbers slowly up to the female angel, shaking his head wearily.

"_Rough night?" _she asks cheerfully.

He nods _"Oh yeah!" _He traces an index finger across his forehead _"I may be the first guardian angel to request reassignment." _he huffs. _"That kid has had me on my toes all day. There isn't a nook or cranny in the house she hasn't crawled into looking for her presents. I 'm going to need back up this night!"_

Upon hearing the discussion, Darkwing feels a knot in his stomach. "Uh, excuse me," he says hesitantly I"m all most afraid to ask, but the kid you're talking about isn't by chance..." he trails off, afraid to finish the sentence.

"_Yep!"_ the female angel chirps _"None other than your sweet little Gosalyn!" She motions to the bulldog "This is her guardian angel just as I am yours."_

Darkwing's eyes meet with the bulldogs. He feels instant compassion for this poor fella. As her father, Darkwing has an appreciation of how hard it is to look out for the rambunctious child. This angel has been at Gosalyn's side every moment since she was born! The only words Darkwing can find are "I am _so_ sorry!"

The female angel chortles "Don't worry, she'll grow out of it."

"if she doesn't get herself killed first." Darkwing replies.

"_Now that much I can tell you, Darkwing Duck. You're daughter is not due up here for a very long time"._

With that said the air is all at once filled with the melodic voices, of what Darkwing believes must be every angel in the heavens **_"♫Hallelujah ♪-♫Hallelujah ♪-♫Hal-le-lu-jahhhhh ♪!!!"_**

"_Very funny!"_ she calls out as the singing ceases. She lifts her eyes to the bulldog _"I'm not suppose to let this get out but I have it on good authority, you'll be getting a **little** extra help with her very soon."_

Her words seem to bring hope to her friend _"Are you sure?" _he asks, his voice sounding anxious.

She nods _"Just tough it out with her a little longer."_

"_Oh," _the bulldog says with great relief _"Then I guess I'd better be getting back. The last time I looked, she was gluing a red Christmas light on the nose of a mounted deer head. She plans to show it to LaunchPad and tell him it was a trophy from her dad's last hunting trip up north!"_

"Oh no! LP will be having nightmares for a month!" Darkwing groans. Without another word the bulldog turns wearily to return to his assignment.

Watching him go, Darkwing has to wonder what extra help his angel is referring to. It is to easy for her to see Darkwing is more than a little embarrassed over his daughter.

"Sometimes I don't know what to do with that kid." he admits to her "She is so mischievous."

"_As I said earlier, you are kindred spirits." _The angel replies.

"What! Are you implying that I was ever that way!"

"_Oh yes!"_ she laughs _"You forget who you are talking to, Darkwing Duck. I've been there from the start!" _She grabs his arm. _"Now, on to our next destination._"

As always, they start walking through the light and soon emerge – somewhere else. Somewhere else being in the middle of down town St. Canard during an apparent shoot out between the police and criminals held up in a mall. As a bullet buzzes right passed his ear, Darkwing, taken by surprise lets out a cry of panic and dives to the ground. It takes a few seconds to realize, he isn't in any danger. He lifts his head from the pavement to see the angel standing calmly next to him, smirking. "Oh yeah, right. They can't hurt us right."

He gets up slowly and glances around at the scene before him. "This reminds me of something that happened earlier today." he comments.

"_With the fearsome five at the museum?" _the angel asks.

As the shooting continues Darkwing hears the sound of glass shattering. He looks just in time to see the form of a person, dressed in an outlandish outfit falling backwards from the upper level of the mall. Just before he hits the pavement, a bungee cord shoots from the broken window and coils around his ankles. The cord breaks his fall just in time to keep the fall from breaking _him_. He bobs at the end of the cord like a hooked fish. Darkwing realizes that it is QuackerJack. Now, a little worse for wear.

As Darkwing and the angel lift there eyes upward, they see a figure of a female dressed in a Renascence style costume. Using the same bungee cord she caught the criminal in, she slides down and lands a few feet in front of Darkwing. It only takes a second for Darkwing to realize who she is. She wears Navy blue leotards with a white French styled blouse and a dark blue vest. She has ankle boots and a shimmering black mask, her fiery red hair is pulled back in a tight French braid.

"Gosalyn!" he gasps. The same Gosalyn that had accompanied Guardian back into his time. Gosalyn, as she will be in the not so distant future.

"_She prefers Quiverwing when she's in costume,"_ the angel informs him.

Darkwing can't help but smile. This is the Quiverwing Quack that had accompanied the Guardian back to stop Dark Warrior. This is Gosalyn as she is meant to some day be. His daughter, his beautiful, daring daughter.

Quiverwing quickly cuts QuackerJack down only to hog-tie him like a rodeo steer. "Oh, you're a meany!" QuackerJack pouts as he lays bound and helpless on the ground in front of the girl.

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, Quacky!" Quiverwing taunts.

Just then, the front door of the mall swings open as Megavolt and Bushroot rush out. They both run wildly from the building, but don't get far when a loud voice rings out from behind them " Surrender villains! There is no escaping the might of Gizo-mo-duck!"

The heavily armored super hero appears at the doorway. He pauses only a moment before extending his robotic arms to easily snatch the two fleeing criminals."

His arms retract and he hold them upside down by their ankles like a pair of snared rabbits. "Let us go before I short circuit you like cheap Christmas lights!" Megavolt threatens.

"Sorry, but that is against the super hero code of honor." GizmoDuck replies arrogantly.

"Then you asked for it!" Megavolt replies then _zaps_ GizmoDuck with a bolt of electricity.

Nothing!

A satisfied grin crossed GizmoDuck's bill. "I'm afraid that won't work any more Megs. I GizmoDuck, now possess the most advanced cataphract in crime fighting."

It is then that Darkwing takes notice of the new Gizmo-suit. It looks much like the old one, only it is more of a deep silvery-white. It has a bit of a wet-look to it, much the same as the B.E.A. He possesses. "Oh no! Don't tell me GizmoDuck has his own .B.E.A. Suit!" he wails, sounding like an offended child.

The angel can't help but laugh. _"Looks that way."_

He's not sure if he is jealous that GizmoDuck has the same armor as he does - or worried. He isn't convinced that GizmoDuck knows how to handle that kind of power responsibly.

But he is also some what confused.

"I don't understand this "I thought the B.E.A. was rare!" Darkwing tells the angel.

"Gosalyn said that when she went into the future that time, Dark Warrior had told her that the armor was rare. Even SHUSH says the substance that makes the armor is rare!"

"_The substance is little know right now, but it won't be for long. There will be quite a few suits of armor made from the stuff." _the angel explains.

A look of dread sweeps across Darkwing's face "That's not good. If it's too easy to come by then any body – including criminals can use it!"

"_Not to worry, Darkwing"_ the angel assures him as she places a hand on his arm.

"_Your daughter was misinformed. You see, the armor isn't what's rare. The power **you** achieve with it is."_

Darkwing turns to look at the angel, obviously confused by her words. "_It's like any other talent, really. Take art. There are a lot of people with the talent to draw and paint pictures, but only a few have that special something that makes them great. The same with the armor, Darkwing. Though there are several who can use the armor successfully, none of them have the potential to do what you can and will do with your B.E.A."_

"So, even though others can use the armor to increase their abilities, they still won't be able to do as much as I saw Guardian do?" he asks trying to make sense of the whole thing.

The angel draws a long slow breath as she attempts to explain _"Darkwing. The B.E.A material isn't as **new** to the world as everybody thinks. The very same formula was discovered once a very long time ago. But at the time, there was only enough of it to make a single object. A sword, created back in the dark ages. A time when the world needed a symbol of hope. The sword actually became rather well known in the history books You may have heard of it – King Arthur's Excalibur."_

Darkwing's jaw drops. " Excalibur! _The_ Excalibur!" For a moment, he is actually humbled by the realization. His armor is made from the same material as the legendary Sword of King Arthur! "Wow." he utters under his breath. He turns his eyes to the angel. "Then the story of the sword in the stone is actually true?"

"_Well, more or less. A few details have been added throughout the course of time, a few details have been lost. But the context is pretty much true. Only you can wield the full power of the armor for the same reason only Arthur could pull the sword from the stone."_

"What, you mean I'm the rightful King of England?"

The angel stares at the oh-so sober expression on Darkwing's face. If she didn't know him so well, she would think he was serious.

"_Cute." _she replies. "Darkwing, don't you yet understand what all this has been..." she is interrupted by the deafening roar of a powerful engine. They both look to see a vehicle speeding towards them. Negaduck's motorcycle.

The bike comes to a screeching halt only a few feet from GizmoDuck. The rider leaps from the motorcycle, somersaults through the air and hits the armored hero with a webbed kick to the chest. GizmoDuck is sent reeling backwards into the outer wall of the mall as he drops his prisoners.

"Ah no! Don't tell me!" Darkwing yelps as he sees the apparel Negaduck now sports.

He buries his face in his hands "Oh no, oh no! And I was worried about GizmoDuck having it!" He lifts his head to look at the angel. His eyes and voice pleading "Please tell me that Negaduck doesn't have his own B.E.A.!"

_To be continued..._

_**From the Author:** OK, it's been forever and a day since my last update. As always, let me know if the story is getting to complicated to follow or just dragging out too much. I'll try to get fic wrapped up some time soon._


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

**_Author's Note. _**

_Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen Chapter 9**_

Of all the people in the world Darkwing would not want in possession of a B.EA., Negaduck is definitely at the top of his list. "How can this be? How can that – that lunatic have a B.E.A.? What is this. Is SHUSH giving them as door prizes or something!" he exclaims.

"_Darkwing Duck – calm down!"_ the angel orders, though not at all unkindly. _"It's alright."_

Darkwing glances from the angel to Negaduck. The armor he wears eerily resembles Dark Warrior's costume, spiked shoulder pads and all. Only the

coloring is different. The entire suit is a dull steel gray. Quite ugly actually.

"How can you say that!" He demands "Negaduck has a B.E.A.! What's there to be calm about!"

"_As I have told you, What you can do with the suit is rare! Negaduck can't do what you can with it!"_

"If that fruitcake can do anything with it, it's too much!" he yells. "Negaduck coming in possession of a little power is like a match coming in contact with a little nitroglycerin!"

The angel only smiles and shakes her head _"Keep watching!"_

He watches as GizmoDuck pulls himself together and charges the criminal. Negaduck leaps high into the air and delivers a webbed kick to the helmeted head. GizmoDuck is sent sprawling to the ground.

"Looks to me like it works just fine for Negaduck!" Darkwing comments bitterly.

"_Well, just keep looking, you'll see." _the angel says softly.

He turns back to watch the scene before him. He watches as GizmoDuck quickly recovers from Negaduck's blow. The wheeled warrior again charges the villain. This time, GizmoDuck gets the upper hand as he manages to deliver a punch to Negaduck's gut that causes the villain to buckle over. "Oph," Negaduck gasps. In spite of his protective armor, he definitely feels that. "You'll...you'll pay for that!" he swears at the hero s he struggles to find his breath.

"Sticks and stones may break _your_ bones...but no villain can withstand the might of GizmoDuck!" is the reply he receives.

"Oh yuck!" Darkwing gags "And people say_ I _have an ego!"

"Oh, I can do better than sticks and stones," Negaduck hisses as he pulls out a heavy laser gun and fires it at the hero. With his new armor, the laser blast merely bounces off of GizmoDuck. "Ha! It will take more than that to harm _Giz-mo-Duck!_" the super hero proclaims arrogantly.

A look of frustration crosses Negaduck's face. He finds himself evenly matched now that the tin-plated boy scout possesses his own B.E.A. But like all heroes, GizmoDuck also possesses what Negaduck considers a serious flaw. Compassion.

The expression of displeasure is replaced with an evil grin.

He turns the laser gun on the police who are watching from a safe distance – behind their cars. He fires on the vehicles, igniting the gas tanks. The police officers run for cover. They get a safe distance away, but the damage is done. As the police cars exploded in a fragmentation of metal and glass, chunks flaming rubber tires and upholstery fly scattered in all directions. Alas, several of the burning chunks strike the mall with the tremendous force of the explosion. Pieces of flaming rubber shatter through the windows. It is further bad luck that one of the rooms the burning rubber is thrown into is the clothing department. In seconds, the fabric catches fire and spreads uncontrollably through the large department store.

The fire alarm sounds through the entire mall.

In a panic, the customers and employees alike race for the elevators and stairways. Security guards attempt to stop the fire with extinguishers, but to no avail. The fire has grown to rapidly.

Screams of terror from within the giant edifice are heard outside. The police look on in horror as flames burst forth from shattered windows. GizmoDuck turns his attention to the cries for help, momentarily forgetting his opponent. A serious mistake.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Negaduck charges, striking GizmoDuck in his unprotected throat. Gasping for breath, GizmoDuck clutches his throat in surprise. He is unprepared for the powerful punch he receives to the jaw and is knocked to the ground, unconscious.

As the cries of terror ring through the air, a wicked smile grows across the villain's bill. "Ah, the shrills of the innocent. I'll never get tired of hearing it!" he laughs before vanishing in a cloud of crimson smoke.

Quiverwing had been watching the entire battle. Not possessing her own armor, she could not have aided GizmoDuck in his fight against Negaduck. But now she rushes to help him and the people in the mall. She sprints to GizmoDuck's side. She'll need his help to rescue anybody caught in the burning building. Kneeling by his side she shakes him "GizmoDuck! Come on, wake up!" she calls anxiously.

The armored hero stirs. He chokes as he tries to move, to get up. It is hard for him to breathe at the moment, but Quiverwing can't afford to be coddling. "Come on, we have to help those people in the mall!" she urges.

He realizes the gravity of the situation. Gathering his strength, he pushes himself upright.

"Are you alright?" she asks holding onto his arm to help him get his balance. He wobbles a bit as he steadies himself. Lifting his eyes to the mall, he sees that the fire has already spread through the two top floors. He watches as people escaping the burning building, stampede out the front door, knocking each other to the ground in a state of panic.

"Yeah- yeah," he gasps "But, this is _one time _I really do wish your father were here!"

_to be continued..._

_**From the Author:** Another short one, sorry. I **will** get the next chapter up as soon as possible. I really want to get this fic wrapped up some time in the near future._


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

**_Author's Note. _**

_Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen Chapter 10**_

Darkwing observes as Quiverwing and GizmoDuck attempt to save those who are trapped by the fire. It is hard for the Masked Mallard to simply watch the whole thing happen. "Where is Guardian!" he yells to the angel "Why isn't he here! Why isn't he protecting my...his...daughter?!"

The angel heaves a weary sigh _"Darkwing...shut - up."_ she says slowly. Though her words are spoken softly, she does seem a bit tired of Darkwing's raving. He looks at her in surprise of her attitude. Well, he asked for it. Biting his lip, he turns his attention back to the vision before them.

He watches as his daughter rushes into the mall even as others are rushing to get out, GizmoDuck right behind her.

Without warning the scene before them fades. In a flash, Darkwing finds himself

standing on a hilltop in a heavily wooded area. "You could have given me some kind of warning you know!" Darkwing's yelps.

"_Where's the fun in that?"_ the angel jests. _"Now, believe it or not, we do have a schedule to keep. Watch and learn, Darkwing Duck."_

Watch what? There's nothing but wilderness? He glances around. Not seeing anything but trees and sky, he turns to the angel. "So what is it I'm suppose to be..."

He is interrupted by the sound of laser fire in the distance. Gazing anxiously in the direction the sound is coming from, Darkwing sees somebody running through a small path in among the trees. Even from a distance, Darkwing knows who this is. The white and silver costume is quite distinguished at any distance. Guardian.

It doesn't take long for Darkwing to know why Guardian is running. Not far behind him is a small army of Eggmen. The Eggmen fire at Guardian, only barely missing him at times. Guardian dodges the shots with agility and grace as he runs into a small clearing.

There is no place to take cover now. But perhaps he doesn't have to find cover. The approaching roar of a jet engine draws Darkwing's attention skyward. The ThunderQuack.

A ladder lowers from the open cockpit as the jet swoops low. In a great bound, Guardian leaps and grabs onto the ladder and is whisked away from his pursuers in a trice.

As quickly as they had moved from the scene at the burning mall, Darkwing and the angel are back again. Becoming rather fatigued with the constant change of scenery, Darkwing heaves a frustrated sigh "I didn't know you could get jet lag _standing still._" he comments to his heavenly companion.

"_Yeah, well try doing it for a living!"_ the angel replies. _"Now as usual – keep watching."_ she motions toward the mall. The upper floors of the huge building are now engulfed in flames. Black and gray smoke billows from the shattered windows. The fire department has arrived and fire fighters are attempting to put out the fire.

The entire scene takes Darkwing back to the events that happened almost two years ago to the day! The fire. The fire in the girls school that had nearly cost him his life.

So very strange, that Christmas Eve. How very odd it was that the entire city seemed to have a change of heart towards him after that. Why? Perhaps he'll never know. It seemed as though the citizens of St. Canard had become afraid of losing him.

Darkwing glances at the angel. He wonders if she could tell him? She was there, after all. Wasn't she? Wasn't she always with him?

Questions will have to wait for another time, however. Darkwing sees a small lavender colored sports car arrive on the scene. A woman dressed in a flowing red dress gets out. "Morgana! What's she doing here?" Darkwing asks.

" _She heard about the fire breaking out. She is concerned for Quiverwing."_

"Quiverwing?" Darkwing glances up at the burning building "Oh my gosh! Gosalyn!" he exclaims as he realizes his daughter is inside. He glances back at Morgana. He can see the worry in her eyes. He watches her as she reaches into the car and picks up a small child. Their daughter. Darkwing can only spare a hasty glance at the little girl. She has long black hair that is pulled back in a a braid. She is so very pretty. But Darkwing has no time to ponder this.

He knows Morgana can't do anything to help Gosalyn, not with the child there.

Just then, something_ jumps_ from the open back window of the car. Something very large, very furry and very _fast_! It is little more than a blur as it sweeps passed

Darkwing and the angel on a beeline for the burning building. Darkwing's jaw drops in complete shock. "Is that what I think it is?" he asks in an _I'm-not-sure-I-really-want-an-answer_ tone of voice.

The angel laughs _"Oh yes, I'm afraid so."_

In a blink of an eye. they are now in the burning building. They watch.

Both Quiverwing and GizmoDuck have made it to the upper level of the building.

They are doing what they can to help the people who have been trapped by the fire.

Quiverwing taps a finger on the oxygen mask she wears. As many times as she had squawked at her dad for making her carry it, she is now oh-so grateful that he did. GizmoDuck of course, is equipped with his own oxygen supply.

Through the thick black smoke, they can hear the cries of terrified victims, trapped by the flames.

They set about putting out the fire as best they can. The Gizmo-suit is equipped with a small fire hose, but it was only built to put out very small fires.

Quiverwing is becoming disoriented and confused through the ordeal. She tries to stay focused, recalling much of her training.

She hears people crying out that they can't get out of department stores because the fire has the doors blocked. "Can't you just go through the fire?" she calls to GizmoDuck "You have the special alloy armor."

"The armor doesn't do much for my wheel! It would melt in seconds!" GizmoDuck replies. He looks up toward the ceiling "Isn't there suppose to be some sort of sprinkler system to put out fires?"

"Yeah, but it seems it isn't working!" Quiverwing calls back. She strains to see through the smoke. There has to be something they can use to help the trapped victims.

The sporting goods store has been completely blocked of by the fire. People trapped inside scream for help.

"Oh come on GizmoDuck, use your head – _for once_!" Darkwing chides as he watches the stressful scene. The fact that nobody can hear him doesn't stop him from voicing his opinion. "The store right next to it isn't block by the flames! Just go inside and knock down the wall between them!" He shouts. Both of is fists are squeezed tightly at his sides. "Come on! You don't have much time! The smoke ventilation will overtake them any time now! Hurry!"

The angel, as calm as ever, watches Darkwing rant anxiously. He wants so much to help. He forgets that not of this is really happening – not yet.

Quiverwing thinks "What would dad do? What would he do?" she looks around anxiously. "Think – think."

Then it dawns on her. "GizmoDuck! Go through the store next to it! Knock down the wall!"

Without a reply, GizmoDuck goes into action. He does as the girl suggests. Moving into the department store next to the one blocked by fire. He doesn't hesitate to simply drive right through the joining wall. "Never fear, GizmoDuck is here!" he proclaims even as the people rush passed him into the next department.

"Careful people, we don't want to trample anybody!" GizmoDuck tries to instruct the panicking victims as they flee. "Stay close to the wall! You won't get lost that way. Go to the stairway on east side!"

The people do as he says, keeping their hands on the middle wall, following it toward the east stairway.

There are still other trapped by the fire. There is still much to be done.

The angel can not help but watch the expression on Darkwing's face. There is almost a look of recognition in his eyes as he watches. _"Brings back memories, doesn't it?"_ she asks.

Darkwing is so caught up in the events that her voice actually startles him. He jumps in surprise. He glances sidelong at her, then looks back to the scene. "Yeah, it does." he answers, not wanting to look away from his daughter. "You...you were there, right?"

"_Always."_

This may not be the time or place, but he wants to know. "Do you know what happened that night? I mean, do you know why the entire city of St. Canard suddenly decided to join the **Darkwing Duck fan club**?"

To Darkwing's surprise, the angel falls silent. He finally looks from the scene to face the angel. There is hesitation in her eyes. Darkwing takes this to mean, she knows something about it. "Well?"

For the first time, the angel has to search for the right words _"Let's just say, they finally decided to listen to the **voice of reason**."_

"Huh?"

Darkwing opens his mouth to asks what she means but she cuts him off.

"_Look who is joining the party."_

He turns his attention, once more to the vision before him. GizmoDuck and Quiverwing have managed to save many of the people. The firemen have managed to get a ladder up to one of the windows. GizmoDuck hands a young boy he saves over to the fire fighter atop the ladder.

There are now only four people left, but they are surrounded by a ring of fire. The flames have spread and forced both Quiverwing and GizmoDuck back. Neither of them can figure a way to get to the people. Then as if being summoned as the last hope, Guardian is there.

"Dad!" Quiverwing exclaims as her father emerges from the clouds of black smoke. He too is wearing an oxygen mask.

He gazes at his daughter through the tented visors. "How many are left?"

"There are four others still trapped in the fire! But we can't get to them!" she tells him.

"It doesn't look good wingy. We can't reach them!" GizmoDuck informs him.

Guardian can see the small group of people huddled together, choking and crying in fear. He doesn't get a chance to think about it. Something inside of him takes over. Moving as close to the flames as he can get, he extends his gloved hands in front of him. He feels very strange. An energy seems to flow from his own body, through his arms and out of his finger tips. What looks like a thin veil of transparent light flows from his hands and passes over the tops of the flames, and smothers them.

Given an escape, the people don't hesitate to run while they can. As they rush passed him, Guardian feels the sensation subside. But the experience has left him week. He falters and almost falls. "Easy Wingy." GizmoDuck calls, grabbing Guardian's arm. "I don't know how you did that, but we have to leave!"

"Hurry dad!" Quiverwing calls. They follow the others through the burning edifice. GizmoDuck is helping the weakened Guardian.

By time they get to the staircase, those they had rescued were already running down the stairs in fear for their lives.

"_Next stop, first floor." _says the angel. In a snap, both Darkwing and the angel are now on the first floor. They wait and watch.

"Hurry!" Quiverwing urges as she leads the way. They are lucky, the stairway has

not yet been touched by the fire.

They hurry down the flights of stairs. They finally get to the access doors leading out. Quiverwing opens the door for the others. Now down to the first floor, they are surprised to find that it is not untouched by the fire. The upper levels have collapsed in some areas. The ceiling of the first floor is, in some parts, on fire.

But the smoke is high and they can see clearly. The doors leading outside are only yards away. "We're almost home free!" Quiverwing calls. She sprints a little farther ahead of the others, anxious to get outside.

Darkwing watches with an over powering sense of foreboding. This is so much like that day two years ago. He recalls. He had gotten the children all the way to the front of the burning school. They could see the doorway, they were home free. That's what he thought anyway. Then there was the sound of a loud cracking overhead. He had looked up just in time to see a burning support beam falling down upon him...then everything went black.

Darkwing feels a knot in the pit of his stomach as he lifts his eyes to the burning ceiling. As he watches, a large chunk of concrete breaks off and falls. His eyes quickly drop to the spot directly under the falling concrete. "Gosalyn!"

_To be continued..._

_**From the Author:** I have come very close to scrapping this whole story. I really don't like it. I think it is to complex and hard to follow. But I decided to finish it, for now. Some time in the future I may try to rewrite a better version of it. For now, I just want to get it done._


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

**_Author's Note. _**

_Fair warning! These stories are all part of the series "The Path Chosen." If you haven't read the other fics in the series "The Path Chosen, Tracker's Story Hidden Dawn, and Meant To Be," I guarantee, this one will confuse you. _

_**I Am Chosen Chapter 11**_

Darkwing watches as the large chunk of cement falls from the collapsing ceiling, his own daughter directly in its path.

Quiverwing doesn't realize what is happening. As she runs for the front doors, she hears the crashing sound from above her. She looks up to see the falling material. She doesn't have time to react. But in the blink of an eye, she is knocked from harms way. She hits the floor of the burning mall as chunks of debris fall all around her. Instinctively, she covers her head, rolling up on the floor, into a protective ball. She is very lucky that the larger ones miss her completely.

Still helping Guardian to walk, GizmoDuck extends a hand to help the girl to her feat. "Something knocked me out of the way." she tells them.

"I know just what that something is, kiddo." Guardian replies nodding for his daughter to look behind her. She turns to see the all to familiar form a large fawn colored dog "Havoc!" she exclaims "How did you get here, boy!" she asks bewildered.

"There's no time for this! We have to get out of here." GizmoDuck insists.

There is no argument from the others. Quickly, they make there way from the burning edifice.

Soon after, the firefighters are able to at last, get the fire out. Though there is little left of the mall, now.

Across the street, in the park, Guardian and his family watch the ordeal. Guardian sits on a wood bench with Morgana next to him, The little girl is quiet on her mothers lap. Quiverwing sits on the ground next to her father, the big dogs head resting on her folded lap. She strokes the animals big head. "You saved my hide in there fella," she says to the dog then glances up at her step mother. "But why did you bring him with you?"

Morgana giggles "As if that big ox gave me a choice. When I opened the car door, he got in and refused to get out! I really think he sensed you were in trouble."

"That doesn't take great abilities on the dogs part, it's just a force of habit. She's _always_ in trouble." Guardian quips.

The girl gives her father a dirty look "I love you too, daddy dear."

"Speaking of abilities. How did you do...that...thing you did, in there? Putting the fire out, I mean?"

Guardian falls silent, he lifts his eyes toward the destroyed building. "I don't know, sweetie. I really, don't know. I just did it without thinking. It's like my own energy passed through my body and acted as a sort of forcefield."

"Dark, that's fascinating." Morgana exclaims. "Has anything like this ever happened to you before?"

"No, not in all the time I have had the armor – _Nothing_ like this has ever happened." Darkwing admits with a tone of fatigue, "But I'll tell you one thing. It sure knocked the wind out of me. I'm still tired!"

"Don't worry, dad. The armor speeds up your healing process too, you know. You'll be out and about in no time."

Guardian leans back against the back of the bench, his new found abilities weigh heavy on his mind.

Watching the entire ordeal from only a few feet away, Darkwing stands next to his angel. He is baffled. "I don't recall Guardian using _that_ particular ability when he was visiting my time." He tells the angel.

"_He wasn't in your time very long, Darkwing. You hardly had time to know that much about him." _The angel points out. Darkwing turns his attention back to the vision. He gazes from is future self, to his wife, to the little girl on her lap.

The little girl. Their daughter. His daughter. She looked so much like her mother.

The child is quiet as she sits on her mothers lap, holding a quacky-patch doll. She seems so even tempered and patient, Darkwing has to wonder if _she_ isn't adopted as well.

This thought causes him to shift his gaze to Gosalyn. She sits at her fathers feet stroking the head of the large dog. She seems content – happy. Oh how Darkwing hopes she is happy.

His gaze now settles on the dog. For the first time, he takes notice of just how big the animal really is. It really is a giant of a dog. It isn't quite the size of a Great Dane, but not much smaller. Darkwing can't help but move closer to the animal. He is curious. Leaning down, he sees now that the dog is more of a fawn color than brown. The dog has a long black muzzle. He guesses the animal weighs well over a hundred pounds, though it has a lean, tight build. "I hope that thing doesn't sleep with me." he mumbles vacuously.

"_Not as a rule." _the angel comments _"But the two of you do tend to fight over who gets the recliner every night. _She chuckles.

Darkwing crosses his arms and watches as Gosalyn scratches behind the dogs ears, playfully. The dog responds by rolling over for a belly rub as well.

"Talk about spoiled." Darkwing remarks. "What did gos call him earlier...Havoc?" He once again takes notice of the size of the dog. "From what I've seen. It fits him."

The angel steps along side of Darkwing and gazes at the big dog. _"You know Darkwing, that dog saved your family once. You were gone one night and there was a gas leak. Havoc woke up and alerted Gosalyn to it. There was another time when she was younger, your family took Honker to the beach with you. Gosalyn and Honker were exploring the rocky cliffs around the beach. Gosalyn got to close to the edge and slipped. Havoc caught her by the sleeve of her shirt and pulled her back up. He even got you up in the night once to let you know Gosalyn was sick."_

"A real Rin—Tin-Tin, huh." Darkwing laughs. "Looks like the puppy dog is playing guardian angle to my kid." With those words, realization dawns on him. He stands back up to see the angels face. "Uh, is that," he asks pointing a finger toward Havoc "what you meant when you told Gosalyn's Guardian angel, he was getting some help?"

A look of amusement shows on the angels face "Let me put it this way. When old Rover's time finally comes. We are fitting him with his own set of wings and a halo and sending him back down, again."

Darkwing smiles and looks back down at the big harry animal. "Well, he does make her happy, doesn't he? I guess that's worth giving up my recliner every night."

The angel smiles warmly _"We need to go. There's something else you need to see."_

She takes his hand and they turn again to the light.

They walk a short way though the light before coming upon the next vision of the future.

It's evening, now. They are in Darkwing tower. "Now what?' Darkwing asks the angel.

She doesn't reply, but takes his arm to lead him. They go to the part of the tower that has been used for recreation purposes. There is a television with a few video games, comic books, sports magazines, and a fridge full of goodies.

There is also an easy chair that is at the moment, occupied. Guardian sits back in the chair, his fedora tossed carelessly to the floor next to him. His visors lay on his lap. He has his eyes closed and he is taking long deep breaths in an attempt to relax. There is soft classical music wafting through the otherwise quite room.

Darkwing moves closer, he leans down to inspect his future self's face. In spite of the apparent relaxing atmosphere, there is a troubled expression on the Guardians face. "He seems troubled." Darkwing comments to the angel. "Is it over what happened in the fire? I mean, the new found powers – or what ever you'd call what he did?"

"Yes, in part, anyway." the angel answers as she moves next to him. _"I told you earlier on, your path ahead is a difficult one."_

Just then there is the sound of air being displaced and the low hum of a gears operating. Somebody has entered the tower by way of the spinning chair. Guardian opens his eyes and replaces his visors, quickly. He wonders who it could be. He isn't left guessing, however. The unmistakable heavily accented rants of the richest duck in the world resound off the metal walls of the tower. "Crazy modern contraptions! The blasted thing makes a body so dizzy, he can't stand up!"

An amused smile spreads across Guardians bill "You could have just called, Mr. McDuck." he calls out. The note of amusement is very evident in his voice.

There is the faint sound of some unintelligent muttering before Scrooge answers "Aye, I suppose I could have, lad," he calls back.

The echo of footsteps on the metal floors is heard. In a few seconds, Scrooge appears in the recreation area. Guardian starts to get up to greet him. "Now, you just sit ya self back down lad, I understand you've had quite an eventful day."

Heaving a deep sigh, Guardian flops back into his seat. "I take it you've been talking to GizmoDuck."

Scrooge ambles leisurely up to Guardian and sits on the side of the overstuffed ottoman Guardian has his feet resting on. He is quiet for a moment as he scrutinizes the face of the hero. "I understand from Gizma'Duck that your – new found abilities really drained ya."

"Yeah, I suppose it did." Guardian admits wearily "I'm still feeling the effects."

By the look on yer face, I'd say that wasn't the only thing that you're feel'en lad."

Guardian falls silent. He studies Scrooge for a moment before turning his eyes. Without looking back at the older duck he answers "Yeah, this armor seams to get a little heavier every day." He takes a ragged breath before leaning forward to place his hands over his face. "I am so very tired. I just gotten back from a mission to recover stolen government blueprints from FOWL. No sooner had LaunchPad picked me up then I got a message about the mall fire. I went to help my daughter."

"You've been pushing yourself too hard lad." Scrooge states. "I've been keeping tabs on ya in the news. You haven't allowed yourself much time to rest."

"_Crime_ doesn't allow me time to rest." Guardian responds with a hint of agitation.

Darkwing watches with bewilderment. This doesn't sound like the Guardian he met that day in the amusement park. That Guardian seemed nearly flawless in character. He was strong and calm and wise. But Darkwing again reminds himself, he wasn't really acquainted with the Guardian. But Scrooge had gotten to know him

in the short time he was there.

Scrooge had spoken to Guardian, spent a little time with him. In truth, Scrooge McDuck knew his future self better than he did.

_**Bingo.**_

This is it, as plain as day. The reason he harbors hard feeling towards McDuck. Scrooge has come to know a part of him, even he didn't know very well. This makes Darkwing feel – vulnerable. Moreover, when Scrooge looks at him, he sees more than what Darkwing is, he's sees what he is someday meant to be.

Ohhh...this irritates Darkwing.

Not only because McDuck knows him, in a sense, better than he knows himself. But Scrooge is also expectant of him. Scrooge is watching him. Watching the Darkwing Duck, the arrogant, flashy, even pushy crime fighter, transform into the Duck in White.

Darkwing watches them talk, Scrooge McDuck and Guardian. Like two old friends. It doesn't sit right with him. He doesn't see how he and Scrooge could ever be good friends. Friendly acquaintances, yes, but real friends!

"I can't believe that I would confide in Scrooge McDuck for any reason. If that guy was any tighter with his money, the IRS would have to pay _him_ taxes." Darkwing grouses.

"_Oh really. Didn't he pay for the Darkwing Tower to be rebuilt?" _the angel inquires.

"Well yeah, but..."

"You'll come to see, Darkwing. Scrooge isn't a bad person. I met him before. He can be nice, at times."

"Nice?" Darkwing scowls "Scrooge McDuck?" the image of the old miser placing a cool cloth on his forehead flashes through his mind. "Well, maybe if he almost gets you killed, but I..." he trails off as her words dawn on him "Hey! When did you ever meat Scrooge McDuck?"

"Oh," the angel replies. "That is a story for another day."

"You can not save the world single handedly lad." Scrooge says understandingly. He takes a pause before adding "What about this organization you've been asked to head up?_ The Guardians of Justice_, or something like that."

"What about it?" Guardian replies dryly.

"Wouldn't you be training others to be heroes, to protect the innocent?"

"That's what they tell me. But I don't like being put in the position of leadership. I'm not comfortable with it."

"Bah, what does comfort have to do with it?!" Scrooge scoffs. "Lad, If I only did what I felt comfortable with, I'd still be back in Scotland, playing the bag pipes in

second rate pubs!"

With a heavy sigh, Guardian rises to his feet and strolls around the recreation area. He paces for a few seconds then walks back to the chair to stand behind it. Again he sighs. "In truth. You aren't telling me anything I haven't already thought about. I – I just don't know." Guardian rolls his shoulders forward tensely. He seems to hold his breath for a few seconds before relaxing again. "So much has happened. Some times it feels like I'm expected to keep the whole world from falling apart at the seams."

"Aye, I can relate, laddie. It some times feels like I'm expected to pay off the whole worlds debts. But I've learned that this is just the price of power – what ever form it may come in." Scrooge says with a note of compassion.

"I suppose that's it..." Guardian starts to reply as he lifts his eyes to meet Scrooges. But he is all at once over taken by the strangest feeling.

Then to Darkwing's shock, Guardian turns and looks straight at him. Looking him

in the eye, yet, looking through him, as well.

Darkwing feels a chill rush through his entire body.

"He sees me!" Darkwing exclaims to the angel. "He sees me!"

"_No," _the angel says calmly. She places a reassuring hand in Darkwing's arm. _"Just listen."_

What's wrong, lad." Scrooge asks seeing an almost haunted look sweep over the Duck in White's face.

For a long tense moment, Guardian doesn't speak. He just stares in the direction of his past self and the angel.

Finally, he replies in a voice that is as shaken as the expression on his face. "N-nothing...I guess. I just had this very strong feeling of déjà vu."

Scrooge's brow furrows slightly. "In what way, lad?"

"Like all this has already happened before. You and I talking about the same subject, word for word. You were sitting in the same place and I was here." He motions to the place he is standing. "But," he adds cautiously " it's as if I were standing over there watching myself the whole time."

Scrooge gazes over to the area Guardian is pointing, the very spot Darkwing is standing. He shudders "You're given me chills, lad. But ya know, we've all had that feeling. Like we've been someplace before." he replies.

Guardian forces himself to turn away. He spins to face Scrooge. I suppose your right. Maybe it's just the stress of the day."

Scrooge stands "I'm sure that's all it is, lad. Now, I have to be going. I was just in town on business and thought I should drop by to see how ya were fairing." He pauses before adding "if ya ever need to talk, Ya know where to find me."

Guardian smiles and nods.

With that, Scrooge turns and leaves.

"That was weird!" Darkwing exclaims turning to the angel. "I mean -really weird!"

She laughs _"I know." _ She glances at Guardian who has chosen to dismiss the whole thing as his imagination. Guardian picks up his fedora from the floor and starts for home.

When Guardian is out of sight Darkwing looks to the angel. "I can't picture myself being all chummy with old Scrooge. But I could never imagine, either, having the power that Guardian seems to possesses. It's all so overwhelming."

"_You just need to take it one day at a time. You'll make it." _the angel assures him.

"Well, now that that's over, tell me something."

"_What?"_

"Just when did you ever meet Scrooge McDuck?"

The angel laughs as she takes his arm to go "As I said, Darkwing, that is a story for another day."

_To be concluded (I hope)_


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

_**I Am Chosen Chapter 12**_

Again, Darkwing and the angel walk into the midst of the soft illumination.

This time, however, there are no visions to follow. The angel stops, she turns to Darkwing with a gentle smile _"Tours over."_ she says softly.

Darkwing looks at her, confused. "Over?" he repeats. He feels as though they had

given up on a journey before reaching their destination. "You mean, that's it. I just go back to my body?"

"_Yes," _she answers. _"You've seen all you need to."_

"But, I still don't understand. Wh-what was this all about? What was it suppose to do for me?" Darkwing asks pleadingly. He doesn't want to leave now, not without understanding the purpose for all of this. He has been taken into his own past to relive his childhood in the clinic. He has been reminded of his near death experience as a result of the sickness he had. He has seen his life in alternate realities, Flyer, Tracker and Guardian. So what? Why had they gone through all that.

Again, the angel seems to know his thoughts. "You will come to understand, Darkwing. Give it a little time.

She takes his hands in hers "Never lose heart, Darkwing Duck. You have a great destiny ahead of you."

With those words, she moves away from him and fades into the light.

Darkwing only stands there and waits. He waits for what ever is to come. Soon, the light begins to dim into darkness. The warmth is replaced by coldness. Everything goes silent around him.

The next thing he is aware of.

There are voices all around him, lots of voices. He becomes aware of pain throughout his body. Oh, the pain. It is hard, but he opens his eyes, slowly. Everything is blurry through the tented visors. It's dark.

There is movement in the darkness. Silhouettes against shadows. He can hear the voices. He can't make out what they are saying. He concentrates, he listens intently. One of the voices is calling out to him. "Dad? Dad, can you hear me?"

Gosalyn.

He tries to move his head, to look in the direction the voice is coming from. He can't.

The outlines seems to lean close over him. "Daddy?"

"Gos?" he gasps weakly.

"You'll be alright dad." he hears her say. "SHUSH is here. They are going to take you to a privet hospital to take care of you." she tells him. He feels her small hands touch his and he is comforted by it. "Just rest, dad. It's okay..."

He drifts into unconsciousness.

Days pass. Christmas Eve arrives. Miraculously, Darkwing has recovered enough from his injuries that he insist on going home. The doctors didn't recommend it by any means, he simply refused to spend another Christmas in the hospital. So, with

a broken arm, a mild concussion and a few stitches, he finds himself in his own home on Christmas Eve.

He lays on the sofa in front of the television. Everything is quiet. Everybody is gone. Gosalyn and LaunchPad have gone to get to distribute Christmas gifts. Morgana told him that she had some last minute business to take care of. Business, on Christmas Eve? Drake suspects there is an alternative motive, something to do with the fact that tomorrow is Christmas. She had been dropping hints of something special this year. Ah well, he'll find out soon enough.

He lays back on a stack of fluffed pillows gazing up at the yet bare Christmas tree.

The family is suppose to decorate it together tonight. Drake looks down at the broken arm sadly. Well, he can still supervise.

He closes his eyes. The doctors had given him pain killer, but he takes them sparingly. He doesn't like to feel sleepy all the time. He elects to only take the medicine when the pain becomes to much to bare.

Just the then, the doorbell rings. Uh, he certainly can't get up to answer it. "Come in!" he calls loud enough to be heard. In a few seconds, the door opens. Darkwing strains to see over the back of the sofa. Through his light blue shades, he can make out a silky black top hat.

It is enough to identify the visitor. "I'm in here, Mr. McDuck."

There is the soft padding of footsteps on the floor. Scrooge walks into view. He looks down at the sight of Drake Mallard, bandaged and bruised. An expression of

guilt is evident on the rich ducks face. "Darkwi...that is, Mr. Mallard."

"Drake, will do." Drake replies casually.

"Oh, yes." Scrooge says, there is an uneasiness in is tone. "Well, Drake. I thought I would come by and see how you were fairing lad."

"Pretty good considering a laid down on an exploding bomb only a few days ago. Drake meant the remark in good humor, but it isn't taken that way. He sees the sorrow in McDuck's eyes.

"I am so sorry," the old zillionaire proclaims with a heartbroken rasp.

"Oh, oh, I didn't mean anything by that..." Drake starts. He tries to sit up But the pain shoots through his body and he falls back onto the pillow.

"Here lad, easy, take it easy." scrooge says sitting down on the end of the sofa. He watches the pain stricken look on Drakes face. "Is there anything I can do for ya laddie?" he offers.

Drake gasps for breath "No, I'll-be...fine. Just give me a sec." he closes his eyes and takes long deep breaths. The pain eases.

In a few seconds, he is able to open his eyes again. He looks at Scrooge through the colored shades. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks trying to sound cheerful.

"Oh," Scrooge says hesitantly "Like I said, lad, I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing."

Drake gazes at the old duck "Stop by? You live all the way in Duckburg, thats' a big distance to just be _stopping by._"

"I know, but after what happened," he stammers. Making apologies is not one of Scrooge McDuck's strong points. "I thought it only right." he sighs remorsefully. "I am so sorry, Drake. This is all my fault, If it had not been for my foolish pride...well...I am sorry."

"I'm not mad at you, McDuck, not any more."

One of the very few times in his life, the rich duck is humbled "I would not blame ya if you were lad. I did a very foolish thing. You almost paid with your life, for it."

"What's the old saying? _Almost_ only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades?" Drake answers, smiling slightly.

"Or time bombs," Scrooge mutters. He draws a long deep breath. "I had to come up here and apologize to ya face to face, laddie."

"I will be alright, Mr. McDuck. As you can see, I will make a full recovery."

"Aye..." Scrooge replies. taking a moment to study Drake mallard. "I still can not believe it! You were on top of that bomb when it exploded. It should have blown you to bits – yet here you are."

Scrooge falls silent, waiting for a response. Drake seems content _not_ to reply, however. Scrooge presses him."You were in bad shape when LaunchPad and I found you, very bad shape. We were not sure you would live long enough to be rescued." again Scrooge waits for a reply, again he is answered with silence. He continues. "Strangely enough, you seemed to actually get stronger all the while we were waiting to get dug out of that death trap. When the firefighters did finally get us out, your vital signs were stable." he pauses, looking expectantly at Drake for answers.

Finally, Drake replies "You're hinting around for an answer you already know, Mr. McDuck. It _was_ the armor. It protected me from the blast, it sped up my healing. The B.E.A literally saved my life. Though," he admits wit obvious fatigue "I am still on the mend."

"Aye, but you should still be in the hospital, lad. Or so I am told." Scrooge remarks.

"So you've heard, huh?" Darkwing says, studies Scrooges face, "LaunchPad?"

Scrooge nods "Aye, he's been keep'en in touch with me on your condition. He says the doctors didn't want you to leave so soon, in case – er-_complications_ arise."

"This is Christmas Eve. Mr. McDuck. Do you realize that two years ago this day I was nearly killed in a fire. I spent my Christmas – and new years that year in the hospital I'm not going to spend another holiday there!" Drake responds firmly.

In spite of his sense of guilt, Scrooge can't help but grin. Drake Mallard aka Darkwing Duck is the one person who is probably more pig-headed then he is.

"Alright laddie, don't be gett'en upset now." Scrooge says holding up his hands in front of him.

He glances down at Drakes casted arm. He notices that hero is wearing his night clothes and a robe. "If the armor doe speed up healing, wouldn't it make sense to be wearing it now?"

Drake smiles "It speeds up heeling, it doesn't perform miracles." He places his good hand on the broken one gingerly "I'm just glad it got me this far in the recovery process."

Scrooge smiles and leans back against the sofa. "That is one remarkable costume." he says. "But I have come to realize, the suit is only as good as the man who wears it."

Drake looks at Scrooge is utter surprise. He is flattered. He is actually flattered.

"Oh well, I don't know about that." he replies softly. "The armor did empower Bulba, you know."

"Aye, but nowhere to the degree that it has affected you, me boy." Scrooge insists. "You have a courage that I have not seen in any other person in all my years. And this old duck has known a lot of people in his time."

OK, now Drake's ego is in serous danger of inflating. But noting like a concussion to keep the ego in check, however. Drake just didn't feel well enough to be conceited, at the moment. Instead he smiles politely "You know, my kid has threatened to put up a sign on the RatCatcher -**_ Please do not feed the ego!"_**

Scrooge chuckles "I may just have ta etched that Gizma'Duck's suit.

He sighs softly 'There is another reason I came lad." he gets up and disappears from Drakes sight fro a moment. Drake hears the front door open and the sound of

of rollers squeaking on the hardwood floor of the entrance hall. He also hears a second set of footsteps. In a few seconds, Scrooge comes back followed by Duckworth, pushing what looks like a small cart with a white cloth covering something on top.

Curiously, he sits up slowly to better see the object. "Wh- what is it."

"Well, it's a Christmas Present, I suppose." Scrooge answers seeming a little uncertain about it, however. "Your daughter and Launchpad were in Duckburg exchanging gifts. I felt that this one my need some explaining, though. So I brought it me self." He motions to Duckworth to bring the object close over to Drake. With it object now right in front of Drake Mallard, Scrooge removes the cover. There before Drake's eyes is a lighted desplay case. Within the case are four figurines. Drake is dumbstruck. The small figures are detailed crafted images of his alternate selves. Tracker, Flyer, Nomad and Guardian. He stares at the figures in pure bewilderment. "Mr. McDuck I-I-don't know what to say...' he trails off. He is at a loss for words.

Scrooge studies Drakes face, carefully. He isn't sure how the hero feels about the gift. "I said it needed some explanation, Mr. Mallard. He moves back to the foot of the sofa and sits down. "A couple of months ago, I leased a small loft in one of my

buildings out to a young lady. She did sculptures and such. Well, she wasn't there but a month. I got a phone call from her telling me she had to leave. She said I could keep the deposit because she had to leave quickly and the loft was going to be a mess. She apologized and said that I could do what I wanted with whatever she left there."

Scrooge huffs slightly "I honestly expected to go there and find sculpting clay splattered on the walls and floor with gaudy little figures of half dressed men. Instead, I found the loft, for the most part, clean and tidy. And most of the sculptures were of animals. They were actually very good. I do not understand to this day, why the girl did not just sell them before she left. I have no doubt she could have made a nice little profit." Scrooge smiles a bit "The kids grabbed up most of the stuff she had and laid claim to it. There old Uncle Scrooge wasn't about to sell any of it." Scrooge laughs at the thought. "They even took the rest of her unused clay. Needless to say, there is now clay splattered over the walls and floors of the boys and Webby's rooms. I found this, covered with an old terry cloth in one corner of the loft. The desplay case itself is worth a pretty penny. I do not know why she went to all that trouble and just left it there." Scrooge smirks a bit at Drake, "She must be a real die-hard Darkwing Duck fan. I thought you might like to have it, to remember them by." The old zillionaire explains. He glances as Drake, waiting for a reply.

Drake stares in disbelief at the small figures, Each one done in great detail, painted and polished to a shine. But something else catches his eye. There seems to be an inscription under the glass casing. He leans forward to get a better look. He can't make it out. "What does it say at the bottom, there Mr. McDuck?"

"Oh that. Yes, I noticed that. Don't know what it suppose to mean though, it just says **"Always Remember."**

A chill shoots through Drakes entire body. It couldn't be! He looks at Scrooge and asks in a choked voice "Do- do you remember what she looked like? The girl I mean?"

"Aye, lad, I do at that. She was a pretty young thing, in her early twenties, I'd say. She had shoulder length, light brown hair, her eyes where a pale blue. She had this round little face, kind of tomboyish look'en. But I think I remember her by her voice the best. It was so warm and soft, almost melodious, like the voice of an angel." Scrooge sees Drake turn white and leave heavily back into his pillow.

"Are you alright, laddie? Should I call the doctor?" Scrooge asks with concern.

"No," Drake answers in a raspy voice "I'm okay." he replies. He closes his eyes for a few seconds to let what Scrooge just told him, sink in. When he opens his eyes he glances up at Scrooge with a slight smile "You know, Mr. McDuck. This girl, I'm rather sure I've met her somewhere before."

_To be concluded_

_From the Author: Yeah, this was suppose to be the last chapter. So it's the **second** to last chapter. _

_Also, since I may not be able to get this part worked into the story line. I mentioned earlier that Darkwing Duck chose the colors purple and blue for his costume, for a reason. They are the colors of twilight (as in Twilight Guard)._

_The final chapter is nearly complete so I hope I can get it up soon._


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales..._

**_Author's Note: (flashback) Meant to be: Chapter 20. Tracker's conversation with Morgana, the morning after the group spent the night at her manor._**

_ "Dark told me about the warning you gave him concerning Gosalyn." She tells him in a soothing tone. "We put off getting married, hoping that it may help to keep those things from happening." _

_Again Tracker nods. This time replies in a raspy voice "I hope it does." Then he turns his eyes from her. "Uh, have you decided when you are going to get married?" his voice is soft and quivering._

_Morgana realizes how awkward it must be for him. In his reality, they are already married and have children together. "Yes, we've talked about it. If everything goes well – the first of next month. That way, we'll have the summer to get use to -well being a family." She tries to smile "It's morning. I'm getting breakfast ready. It's – it's a normal breakfast, waffles – cinnamon waffles."_

_Tracker rises slowly. "The first part of next month?" he pauses and glances at the clock "Could I use your phone?"_

_Morgana nods politely. After she leaves the room, Tracker pulls out the phone book and flips through the yellow pages. He picks up the phone and dials._

_There is a ringing on the other end, then somebody picks up._

"_Hello?"_

"_Yes, I know it's early, I'm sorry, but I'm calling to make a purchase ..."_

_**I am Chosen Chapter 13**_

Christmas morning...

Dawn breaks over the slumbering city of St. Canard. Snow flakes drift aimlessly on the December breeze. The earth, covered in a soft blanket of white, is the picture of peace and tranquility...

... "_**Da-**a**a-**a**ad!"**_

So much for peace and tranquility.

Gosalyn charges into her father and Morgana's room. In a single bound she leaps onto the bed right between the sleeping adults! _"It's-Christmas-Morning! It's Christmas-Morning!!-Get-Up!-Come-On,-time to open gifts!"_

The entire paragraph comes out in a single breath as the girl begins to shake her father eagerly.

"Mmmmmhhhppppphhh," Drake grunts as he slowly stirs.

"Gosalyn..." Morgana whispers as she sits up "Don't forget, your father is still hurt."

Gosalyn freezes for a moment. She had forgotten. In the excitement, she had forgotten. "Uh, sorry dad." she says apologetically.

Her father slowly rolls over to look at her. "What time is it, kiddo," he mumbles, still half asleep.

"It's 6:30 AM Christmas Eve Morning! Time to get up!" she chirps. Hopping off the bed she heads for the door. "I'll get LaunchPad!" she calls out as she slams the door behind her.

Morgana startles at the sudden noise. "**_OH_**! I'm awake _now_!" She exclaims.

Drake sits up carefully, Morgana leans over to pick up the blue shades he wears as Drake Mallard. She offers them to him. With his good arm, he takes the shades and puts them on.

"Does every Christmas start this way in the Mallard home?" she asks with a trace of humor in her voice.

Smiling, Drake leans over to kiss her on the cheek "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Mallard." she chuckles " We better get up. It won't take Gosalyn log to get LP out of bed. He's as big a kid as she is when it comes to this kind of stuff."

Morgana laughs and with a mild yawn, throws back the cover to get out of bed.

Gosalyn, rushes down the stairway and punches the button to the intercom, located in the entrance hall. It is connected to another intercom, set up in the guest house out back. "Buzzzzzz!" The sharp, unpleasant noise goes off. There is a few seconds of sharp crackles of static of the communication system before a sleepy voices answers on the other end "Yeah," comes Launchpad's still tired voice.

"_**LaunchPad!!! **It's-Christmas-Morning-Come-on-we're-going-to-open-gifts!-Dad-and-Morgana-are-getting-up-now-so-come-on!"_

There is, again, the sound of cracking static for a moment, while the person on the other end let' the girls word sink in."

Then...

"Oh Boy! I'll be right over!" LaunchPad now sounding as excited as Gosalyn.

In a few minutes, Drake and Morgana are coming down the stairs. Drake leans heavily against the banister for added balance. As they reach the bottom of the stairs, they hear the back door fly open, followed by shuffling of footsteps through the kitchen.

"I take it you woke LP up." Drake says dryly to his daughter.

She in answered with a mirthful chuckle.

LaunchPad comes into the entrance hall. The sight of him causes the others to snicker playfully. He is dressed in a matching tops and bottoms smiley-face print pajamas. His fuzzy blue bathrobe hangs open and the matching slippers are caked with snow.

"Launchpad, you could have put shoes on, you know." Drake chides lightly.

The Pilot glances innocently at his feet. "Oh, yeah. I guess I got excited. You know how much I love holidays, DW!"

"Do I ever."

"OK, enough small talk, people!" Gosalyn interrupts eagerly "There are presents waiting to be opened!"

"Alright, just hold your horses a sec." Drake tells her. With a little assistance from Morgana, he moves into the living room. The multicolored Christmas lights illuminate the otherwise dark room.

Drake fumbles around until he finds the light switch." He flips it on!

The room suddenly comes to life, stocked to the overflow with brightly wrapped gifts. The stockings over the fireplace are stuffed to the point of bursting.

The adults all watch Gosalyn's face light up with expectation. "Yahoo!" she exclaims before charging headlong into the piles of presents around the tree.

LaunchPad and Morgana help Drake get comfortable on the sofa.

LaunchPad takes the easy chair.

The adults watch as Gosalyn borrows through the stacks of gifts looking for any gift that has her name on it.

"Gosalyn, why don't you hand out the gifts for all of us?" Morgana suggests. The girl stops abruptly in the middle of her gift hunting frenzy to gaze up at her stepmother. For a moment, she looks disappointed by the idea. But with a shrug, she starts picking up the gifts and handing them out.

Before long, the gifts are all handed out and opened. Shreds of torn pretty paper and ribbon litter the living room floor.

Morgana opens a box of very expensive perfume "Oh Drake! Transylvania No. 5! How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." he admits "But that stuff is hard to find. I actually had to order it from Transylvania."

He holds up one of his recently open gifts from her. "Cashmere socks? I didn't know they made these for men." he says looking at the pair of soft white socks with some uncertainty. "These are _men's_ socks, right?"

Morgana chortles "Yes they are for men."

Drake shrugs then glances at LaunchPad who is sitting in the recliner admiring the model air plane given him by Drake and Morgana. "Hey, I love this guys, thanks!"

"You are quite welcome LaunchPad," Morgana answers.

The adults turn their attention to Gosalyn who sits in the middle of the floor inspecting one of her gifts. "What ya got there, kiddo?" Drake asks.

"It's a new Video game from Huey Dewey and Louie. It's a treasure hunt game from McDuck Toyland. They put a note in the box saying that it isn't even out on the market yet!"

"Wow, that was really thoughtful of them." Drake admits then adds suspiciously "Uh honey, what did you give them?"

"Oh, I gave them a bunch of stuff from Pranks-are-us. You know, itching powder, sneezing powder, monster size water balloons, whoopee cushions! That sort'a stuff!"

"Hey, the boys will really love that!" Launchpad exclaims.

"Yeah," Drake groans sarcastically "I'm sure their nanny will love them just as much. So what did Honker get you?'

She grins and holds up a giant 10 pound Hershey Bar. "Oh great!" Drake gripes "I'll start making appointments with the dentist right after the holidays!"

But sees the smile vanish from his daughters face.

"What? What's wrong sweetie?"

A sadness comes to the child's eyes "Mr. And Mrs. Muddlefoot didn't get me anything."

"Oh" Drake replies understanding that his daughter feels hurt. "We are talking about the Muddlefoots after all. I'm sure they just forgot."

he sees his daughter steal and sidelong glance at what is easily the biggest pile of gifts, presents for the baby. Just about everybody they knew had gotten baby gifts for them. There is a stroller and dolls and stuffed animals. Among the fine baby gifts is even a hand crafted wooded rocking horse – from the Muddlefoots.

Drake understands that his daughter isn't jealous of the baby getting so much, rather, she is hurt for having been forgotten by so many. And many _had_ forgotten her in the excitement of the yet to come, blessed event.

What bothers Drake is the fact that many of the people around them really don't think of Gosalyn as anything more than a foster kid. Many of them had bought gifts for the baby not bothering to fool with the _adopted one._ Even Morgana's own family had over look her in the excitement over the baby.

Drake leaned back against the back of the sofa. He and Morgana had gotten extra gifts for her, hoping to compensate. But they couldn't make up for other people's insensitivity toward the girl. Drake has to admit it now, many of their _friends _really didn't see Gosalyn as a _real kid_.

Morgana can read the expression on her husbands face. She leans over close to him. "Christmas isn't over yet, dearest." she says softly.

Drake glances at her. "What do you mean?"

" I think there is one surprise left." Morgana says. She glances at Launchpad and nods. With a big grin, the pilot turns abruptly rushes into the kitchen and out the back door.

Drake and Gosalyn exchange looks of suspicion. "Morg, what are you up to?" Drake asks.

She only smiles at him then turns her attention to her recently open gifts.

Satisfied that they will just have to wait a bit for an answer, Drake and Gos begin going through the gifts they had received. Drake places his new cashmere socks on the back of the end table next to the sofa.

It isn't long, however, before they hear the back door open again. Launchpad emerges from the kitchen carrying a very large square box with a big red bow on top. He sits it down gingerly in the middle of the floor. "Keen gear! Who's that one too, LaunchPad?" Gosalyn asks, her eyes bright with anticipation. "Well, I think it's for you, Gos!"

No sooner had the pilot uttered those words than the girl was there, lifting the lid of the huge box.

She looks into the box anxiously and is surprised to find her _gift_ looking back at her. For an instant,Gosalyn almost seems to be in shock, then lets out an unexpected cry of delight **_"A Puppy!!!"_**

_A puppy..._

Drake feels himself go numb.It can't be. He didn't hear that right, did he. As he watches, his daughter lifts a fawn colored ball of fur from the box.

It can't be...

Drake is in a state of shock. He watches as Gosalyn gathers the bundle of fur and fleas up in her arms and rushes over to him. "Dad, you're the greatest!" she cries as she kisses him on the bill. I love him._ Can-I-keep-him-in-my-room.Can-we-go-over-to-the-Muddlefoots-for-I-can-show-him-to-Honker? I-got-t-think-of-a-name-for-him!"_

"I" Drake attempts to answer.

"_What-breed-is-he.He-looks-like-he-is-going-to-be-really-really-big-when-he-grows-up.Is-he?I-can-keep-him-in-the-house-right?"_

"I" Drake again tried to reply.

"_You-really-really-surprised-me-dad. When-did-you-get-him?"_

The ongoing prattle suddenly stops and Gosalyn waits, sleepy puppy in her arms, for an answer.

"Uh, honey. I don't know. That is_ I_ didn't get him for you." he admits meekly then adds. "But I would have if I had known you really wanted a dog."

Now they both look to Morgana. "Morg, you got her the puppy? Why didn't you tell me?"

Morgana takes a long slow breath "I didn't get the pup for her either, Drake."

What? So who did?

Now father and Daughter look at LaunchPad "Sorry, guys, I didn't get it either. Morgana brought the pup to me late last night and asked me to keep it hidden until this morning."

Once again Drake and Gosalyn look at Morgana. "I thought you said you didn't get her the pup." Drake asks, becoming a bit confused.

"I didn't, Drake. I – am only the messenger, here." Morgana says slowly.

"Then who did get him for me?" Gosalyn asks. She climbs onto the sofa next to her dad, never letting go of the puppy.

She nods towards the box 'There's a _letter_ that comes with it." Launchpad sees a sealed envelope attached to the box top. Removing it, he hands it to Drake.

Drake takes the envelope and opens it. He opens the folded letter that he finds inside.

He starts to read it out loud.

_**To Gosalyn, this Christmas...**_

__

_what?_

This doesn't makes sense. Drake stops reading and places the letter on his lap. Using his good hand takes off his shades, places them on his lap as well then rubs his eyes.

He tries again. Putting the shades back on, he looks again at the letter.

He is confused. It's_ his own_ handwriting. But he didn't write this letter, did he. Well, one way to find out.

_**To Gosalyn, this Christmas.**_

_**The breed is called an Anatolian Shepherd. Not a typical family pet, for a girl who is anything but typical. This dog is as headstrong, confident and at times domineering as his young owner. But also loving, loyal, and courageous. His breed is known for it's guardian abilities. May he guard over and protect you always. **_

_**Love forever; Tracker**_

An unsettling silence falls over the room. Nobody is sure of what to say.

Tracker? The pup was a gift from Tracker. But how can it be from Tracker-he's dead.

Finally, Morgana breaks the silence. "Drake, the night you all spent in the Manor when you were fighting Bulba. The next morning, I talked to Tracker for a few minutes. He asked to use my phone.

I left the room so I didn't hear who he called. But after you had all gone, I found this letter along with a large sum of money next to the phone book. Tracker had already made all the arrangements. I just took the money down to the breeders and arranged to pick up one of the pups, yesterday. Tracker had it all arranged."

They again fall into silence, until a certain puppy becomes fidgety and let loose a heart felt "Grrr-_Yep_!"

The unease that has fallen on the room is shattered with laughter.

"Honey, maybe you should get dressed and take the puppy out to – you know- well in case he has to do something.

Gosalyn smiles at her father. She gives the puppy a quick hug before reluctantly putting him down on the floor "I'll just be a sec, fella. You better stay down here. I'll be right back. With that she charges up the staircase.

"Well, I better get dressed to, I have to get the sidewalk shoveled off." LaunchPad says turning for the kitchen door.

"Sorry I can't help you, LP." Drake says feeling a twinge of guilt in not being able to help.

"No problem, DW. It'll give me a chance to work up an appetite" The pilots says in good cheer. With that, he leaves.

Left alone, the couple sit quietly, watching the puppy sticking it's little nose into every corner as it explores it's new home.

"Oh this has been quite a year." Morgana comments.

"Hasn't it ever." Drake chortles as they both lay back lazily on the sofa. Drake slips his good arm around his wife. "I wonder what next year will bring."

Morgana lets her gaze drift across the room until it comes to rest on a small display case against the wall next to the fire place. It is lit up so that all of the figurines are plainly shown. Her eyes move from one image to the next. "It is an odd feeling" she admits softly to her husband "to know that all of these different persona's are in one sense or another, you."

Drake turns his sight to the display case. "I know – _believe me _I know."

"But then again, they were all Darkwing Duck at their very essence. A little bit of you showed through all of them."

He smiles softly, letting his gaze fall on the figure of Tracker.

Tracker.

He has to wonder. Tracker, buying the puppy for Gosalyn all those months in advance. Leaving Morgana the money to buy it for her. Drake has to wonder if somewhere deep down, Tracker didn't somehow forebode his own tragic fate.

Drake pushes the thought out of his mind. It is Christmas Morning, after all. This is not a time for sad thoughts and sorrows.

Drake closes his eyes. He thinks of the angel, of all she had shown him. Though, the journey she had taken him on has left so many questions unanswered. All the mysteries surrounding the B.E.A. Could wait for another time. This is Christmas.

At his feet, the puppy begins to tear up pieces of ribbon laying about the floor. Morgana reaches down and snatches it away from him. The pup lets his protest be know with a sharp _woo-fff_, before wondering off to find new mischief.

They watch as the pup disappears around the back of the sofa.

"A high spirited preteen, a new baby on the way and now a puppy. We should enjoy a little peace and quiet while it lasts." Morgana giggles.

"yeah!" Drake agrees taking a long deep breath. He leans into the back of the sofa and closes his eyes,again.

They both relax while the moment allows. All too soon, however, there is the sound of a puppy growling and fabric being ripped.

Now what could the pup have gotten a hold of?

Drakes eyes pop open wide, in sudden realization "Uh Morgana, do you remember where I put my Cashmere socks?"

_**The End !!!!! **_

_**From The Author:** Done at last!!!! I confess, I didn't care much for this one. I think I just tried to put too much into one story. Ah well._

_I will probably take a needed hiatus from writing. I guess I am through with the "Path Chosen" series by any means(unless I do **another** revise). _

_**Question: **In any future fics I may write, would you still enjoy DT/ DWD crossovers. I think if I do another crossover, Darkwing Duck will go on a Treasure hunt or something, with the McDuck clan._

_**OK!!** On a final note. If anybody wants to use any of my characters. As I have said before -feel free to do so, as long as it stays around the mild rated T or below. Please no slash or gore or strong language. Nothing your grandmothers would wash your mouths out with soap for reading out loud!_


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